THE MISSION

The Office of the Attorney General, through its Prosecution Division, plays a vital role in Guam’s criminal justice system as part of its mission is to seek justice and enhance public safety.  It is responsible for prosecuting all adult felony, misdemeanor, and traffic criminal offenses that include, but are not limited to: criminal sexual conduct crimes, drug crimes, domestic violence crimes, property crimes, firearms crimes, homicides, white collar or public integrity crimes, government corruption crimes, and other violent crimes in the Superior Court of Guam.

Since the onset of the administration of Attorney General Alicia Limtiaco in January of 2007, through calendar year 2008, the Division has maintained nearly 12,000 cases.  It has been a busy and productive 2008 for the Prosecution Division.  This marked the second consecutive year that there have been increases in prior year statistics. Chief Prosecutor Phillip J. Tydingo leads a team of both young and seasoned but dedicated and dynamic prosecutors in seeking justice through and by prosecuting criminals and bringing closure for many victims of crimes and their families. The Prosecution Division continued to improve its operations in pursuit of justice for crime victims and to increase its efforts to meet the demands of a steadily increasing case load in 2008 in spite of limited personnel and other resources.

THE CRIMINAL CASELOAD

The Prosecution Division received more criminal case referrals in 2008 as compared to the previous years 2007 and 2006.  There were a total of 1,831 cases filed in court last year, up from 1,702 in 2007, and from just 1,604 in 2006. Of the total number filed in 2008, 618 were felony cases and 1,213 were misdemeanor cases. continue...