There is no turning back, says Northern Mariana Islands Senate President Jude Hofschneider. The impeachment trial of Governor Ralph Torres is marching on without a house impeachment record and house prosecutor.

Hofschneider announced, "The deadline has passed and there is no going back to it." The house failed to meet the deadline to re-submit its evidence. According to the Senate impeachment rules, that means the trial of Governor Torres will proceed, sans impeachment record and house prosecutor.

"It is unfortunate that we have to get to this point, but we will provide that platform in terms of having the hearing and having the impeached official be present during those dates as soon as we release it today," he stated.

But even that timeline could be cut short. The full senate is expected to hear the governor’s motion to dismiss the articles of impeachment separately, which could bring the trial to a full stop before it even begins.

Lawmakers in the house are crying foul. They say the record complies with the spirit of the rules. However, the Senate’s announcement makes it a ghost of the past. They say the Senate’s demands are overwhelming, given that the record is over 8,000 pages.

KUAM News: Do you believe it is fair?

Senator: Well, basically you know I think the, I have strong volition that the Senate impeachment rules as indicated as far as the records of impeachment those are a substantial amount of time that was given to the prosecutor to submit those based on the rules and as far as the political aspect of things this was something that was given to us. It did not initiate in the Senate, obviously. So we need to abide by our rules as indicated and as adopted and then go from there.

KUAM News: So in your view, it is going to continue and be a fair trial?

Senator: Yes. given the lay of the land, yes.

KUAM News: What do you mean by that?

Senator: Well, what we have before us.

 

 And what’s before them from the house, at least for now, has gone up in smoke.

The house has told media before that taking the Senate to court is an option, a last resort. As it has been in the case of this impeachment process, we will have to wait and see as lawmakers inch forward.