by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - In his last address as chief justice of Guam for this term, F. Philip Carbullido delivered the State of the Judiciary this morning not only reflecting on the changes the Judiciary has undergone but its commitment to ensuring justice for all our people.

Carbullido says it's remarkable how past State of the Judiciary Addresses offer a documented evolution of the courts having once been called a "broken branch" in 1998 to being "in recovery" in 2002. "More recently, the State of the Judiciary has been described as 'advancing', 'sound', 'innovative' as 'challenged, yet responsive' and last year 'as organized, dependable ,and efficient,'" he said.

Carbullido added the description of the courts through the years reflects the long and rough road the judiciary has travelled. "From the days of being a broken branch, as described by former Chief Justice Siguenza, unequal in all practical respects with the other branches of Government, to the Judiciary we have today- an equal partner in our tripartite government," he said.

Carbullido thanked his predecessors who helped bring the Judiciary where it's at today and along with former lawmakers who helped sponsor unification legislation. And having shared his vision for the Judiciary in past addresses, he was pleased to say that most, if not all of these "big picture" visions have now been realized. "We are now a Judiciary unified not only in name but in practice and function, working cohesively for a common purpose," he said.

Carbullido also gave a progress report on his strategic plan to guide "our way forward" as the Judiciary, one he shared last year. "This plan is a living document we are using for internal governance, not some wish list we drafted and then put on the shelf for show," he said.

In making the courts accessible and user-friendly, the Judiciary has expanded the use of the Northern Court Satellite in Dededo by moving jury orientation sessions there as well as various alternative sentencing and probation classes. Work meanwhile continues on ensuring cases are managed and resolved in a timely manner whereas a committee is working on revamping court training programs to improve career development courtwide. He further noted that in ensuring a strong relationship with stakeholders and partners, the courts have used twitter as a method of disseminating information along with holding a forum later this year for on crime victims rights and services.

Along with progress, Carbullido also discussed challenges including the alarming rise of youth in the criminal justice system. Just last year, 193 of the island's children were under supervised probation, 217 new cases at the Juvenile Drug Court and 721 active cases for the Juvenile Probation Office. He said, "Clearly, for the sake of these youth and our community, we must find ways to give these children the support and attention they need to steer them away from a life of crime and drugs."

And from his investiture 13 years ago until today, Carbullido says the Judiciary has made incredible strides in establishing a supreme court on par in stature with the highest courts of all the states to having a truly unified judiciary. "My hope is now flamed by experience, and by the reassuring knowledge that we have set in motion a solid strategy to guide the growth of the Judiciary for years to come," he said.

Carbullido delivers his address as he enters the last few months as Chief Justice. Meanwhile, today's State of the Judiciary is fitting as May 1 is also nationally recognized as Law Day, a day we celebrate the rule of law.

READ CHIEF JUSTICE CARBULLIDO'S STATE OF THE JUDICIARY ADDRESS