No. 24-701

Douglas B. Moylan, Attorney General of Guam v. Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam

Lower Court: Guam
Docketed: 2024-12-31
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Tags: attorney-general executive-authority organic-act prosecutorial-discretion separation-of-powers territorial-law
Key Terms:
Securities Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2025-05-02
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Supreme Court of Guam violated the Guam Organic Act by ruling that the Governor can appoint Special Assistant Attorneys General and preventing the Attorney General from performing congressionally assigned duties

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

In the Guam Organic Act, Congress created and empowered an Attorney General for Guam. 48 U.S.C. §1421g(d)(1). Congress also gave the Guam Legislature limited authority to regulate the powers and duties of the Attorney General. Id. §§1423a, 1423(a). The Guam Legislature prescribed, among other things, the Attorney General’s powers to prosecute crimes (including against government officials), to represent executive agencies, and to appoint subordinates. 5 G.C.A. §§30101, 30103, 30104. But at the Guam Governor’s request, the Supreme Court of Guam upended the Organic Act’s separation of powers by ordering how the Attorney General must prosecute crimes, represent executive agencies, and appoint subordinates, in derogation of his dual duties to serve as the public prosecutor and chief legal officer. The questions presented are: 1. Whether the Supreme Court of Guam violated the Guam Organic Act’s designation of the Attorney General of Guam as the “Chief Legal Officer of the Government of Guam,” 48 U.S.C. §1421g(d)(1), by ruling that the Governor of Guam can appoint Special Assistant Attorneys General even though the Guam Legislature has vested that authority exclusively in the Guam Attorney General. 2. Whether the Supreme Court of Guam violated the Guam Organic Act by preventing the Attorney General from performing his congressionally assigned duties to serve as both the Territory’s public prosecutor and the civil attorney for executive agencies, 48 U.S.C. §1421g.

Docket Entries

2025-05-05
Petition DENIED.
2025-04-18
Reply of Douglas B. Moylan, Attorney General of Guam submitted.
2025-04-18
Reply of petitioner Douglas B. Moylan, Attorney General of Guam filed. (Distributed)
2025-04-16
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/2/2025.
2025-04-02
Brief of Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam in opposition submitted.
2025-04-02
Brief of respondent Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam in opposition filed.
2025-02-26
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including April 2, 2025.
2025-02-24
Motion of Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam for an extension of time submitted.
2025-02-24
Motion to extend the time to file a response from March 3, 2025 to April 2, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
2025-01-27
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including March 3, 2025.
2025-01-24
Motion of Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam for an extension of time submitted.
2025-01-24
Motion to extend the time to file a response from January 30, 2025 to March 3, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
2024-12-27
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 30, 2025)
2024-10-22
Application (24A382) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until December 28, 2024.
2024-10-18
Application (24A382) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from October 29, 2024 to December 28, 2024, submitted to Justice Kagan.

Attorneys

Douglas B. Moylan, Attorney General of Guam
William Lyle StampsOffice of the Attorney General of Guam, Petitioner
Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam
Jeffrey Alan MootsLegal Office, Office of the Governor of Guam, Respondent
Leslie Anne Mabunay TravisLegal Office, Office of the Governor of Guam, Respondent
Paul Whitfield HughesMcDermott Will & Emery, Respondent