The Northern Marianas officially opened its new state-of-the-art U.S. courthouse on Saipan.

Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona with the CNMI District Court, said, "Now we have this column-free courtroom with a unique oculus skylight which allows the tropical sunlight to filter into the courtroom." The U.S. courthouse in Gualo Rai’s grand opening stalled by the pandemic is now official. The three-story building houses the U.S. District Court, U.S. Pre-trial and Probation Office, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorneys Office, and the Federal Protective Service.

It’s less than a mile away from its previous location where the court sat since 1989, where security was a major issue and driving force for the move. Her Honor continued, "The courtroom itself was unbefitting of a District judge’s courtroom because it is not consistent with the U.S. court’s design guide. "

The new courthouse is part of a 20-year lease between the GSA and the Marianas Management Corporation. Somia T. Quan with Marianas Management Corporation added, "We hope that those who occupy this building, those that work on it, those that seek justice in this court, and current and future generations of NMI residents take as much pride in this building as we do."

Jurists from across the Pacific witnessed the ribbon cutting as the Pacific Judicial Counsel is underway on Guam this week.

Guam Chief Justice F. Philip Carbullido noted, :Now that we have seen her facility this is going to be made available to us. So the whole PJC group is here. We are here to support. "