Gin Gridley

JUDICIARY PIO

March 3, 2009

For Immediate Release:

The CNMI Judiciary will be hosting a Memorial Service in honor of the late Chief Justice Marty W.K. Taylor on Thursday, March 5, 2009, at 10:00am in the Supreme Courtroom and Atrium of the Guma’ Hustisia ·Iimwal Aweewe · House of Justice.

Please note The Honorable Taylor’s Memorial Service is a Private Ceremony. 

The Guma’ Hustisia will be closed to the public from 7:30am to 1:00pm, and Court proceedings will resume at 1:30pm.

In Memoriam

The Honorable Marty W. K. Taylor

October 2, 1937 – February 18, 2009

Chief Justice of the Commonwealth Supreme Court

              Chief Justice Marty W.K. Taylor was born on October 2, 1937 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  He was married to Celina Deleon Guerrero Diaz and the couple is blessed with seven children and five grandchildren.

              The Honorable Marty W.K. Taylor served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands from 1995 to 1998.  Prior to his appointment to the Commonwealth Supreme Court, Chief Justice Taylor served as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court from 1989 to 1995.  From 1982 to 1989, he served as Deputy Public Defender, and served as Acting Public Defender in 1979.  He also served as Legal Counsel for the Civil Service Commission from 1979 to 1980, as Secretary of the Board of Parole from 1978 to 1982, and as a staff attorney for the Micronesian Claims Commission from 1974 to 1976.

              Chief Justice Taylor was appointed to the Commonwealth Supreme Court by former Governor Froilan C. Tenorio and took office on September 22, 1995.  He also served as a designated Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, a Judge Pro Tem of the Superior Court of Guam, President of the Pacific Judicial Council, Chairman of the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Planning Agency Supervisory Council, and Chairman of the Commonwealth Law Revision Commission.  Chief Justice Taylor retired from his distinguished service as Chief Justice on December 5, 1998, and was honored by a resolution of the 11th Commonwealth Legislature upon his retirement.

              Chief Justice Taylor began his legal career as a Deputy District Attorney in San Mateo County, California from 1968 to 1972.  Afterwards, he worked in private practice in San Mateo County, from 1972 to 1974.  During this time, he also served as a private defender in San Mateo County, and was a Municipal Judge Pro Tem for the Southern Judicial District in Redwood City, California in 1973.  In addition, he served as an instructor at the College of San Mateo, San Mateo Law School, and the Police Officer’s Standards and Training School in San Mateo County from 1970 to 1973.

Chief Justice Taylor was admitted to the bars of the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, the State of California, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Trial Court.

              Chief Justice Taylor studied at Oakland City College, Oakland, California, from 1955- 1957, and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Industrial Management from California State University at San Jose in 1961.  He was a Certified College Instructor in Law, Business and Economics in the State of California, and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1967.

              During his tenure on the bench, Chief Justice Taylor attended numerous events at educational institutions, including Wadham College, Oxford University, Oxford, England in 1994, the National Judicial College, University of Nevada at Reno in 1990-1993, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court, Judges/State Justice Institute, University of Nevada at Reno in 1990-1993, and the American Academy of Judicial Education, Orlando, Florida in 1992.

              Altogether, Chief Justice Taylor dedicated twenty-three years of his life to serving the people of the Commonwealth.  He had an extraordinary professional life and career, but was just as proud of his personal life.  Chief Justice Taylor considered the Commonwealth his home.  A dedicated family man, he often said that nothing pleased him more than spending time with his loved ones.  He had a wonderful sense of humor, a positive outlook on life, and everyone he met was guaranteed to leave his presence with a smile on their face.

He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, including his many friends from the Commonwealth Judiciary.