Following the assault allegations against Chief Deputy Attorney General Joe Guthrie, concerns regarding safety at the Civil Service Commission (CSC) have come to the forefront.

The Guam Bar Association (GBA) Board of Governors accused Guthrie of threatening violence during a public hearing, prompting questions about the need for enhanced security measures.

During a public hearing at the CSC, Guthrie allegedly threatened to "bash in the heads" of the Guam Bar Association Board of Governors, particularly President Jacqueline Terlaje.

We’ve reported on the aftermath of the incident and the safety considerations at the Civil Service Commission.

CSC Executive Director Daniel Leon Guerrero addressed the safety concerns.“We’ll continue what we’re doing. And of course we’ll be extra concerned on what may have occurred,” Leon Guerrero says.

While Leon Guerrero admits he’s unaware of the exact events that took place within the building, he shared, “We’re always concerned about safety. I don’t really know what occurred or what may have occurred, but safety is always very important.”

Safety is a priority in court houses– evident with marshals stationed inside and at the doors tasked to safeguard judicial proceedings and the public.

But in the place where at times disgruntled government employees make their case before the commission, there are no such protections.

The alleged incident occurred as top public servants gathered at the civil service commission in Hagatna for a public hearing.

As we’ve reported, the GBA condemned the Chief Deputy AG after he allegedly made threats to Terlaje.

They contended that he also allegedly tried to make unwanted advances that made Terlaje fear for her safety.

Attorney John Morrison weighs in,

“She took that as a serious threat and sought to distance himself from him. As she distanced herself to make a little bit of space, he tried to come forward and repeatedly tried to put his hands on her despite being told not to, repeatedly being told not to touch her. He still lunged and veered forward in an attempt to touch her and get in her space. This occurred in the presence of numerous witnesses.”

It’s a serious allegation involving Guam Police. Terlaje filed an assault complaint against the Chief Deputy AG.

We’ve  reached out to Guthrie and the Guam AG Doug Moylan today for comment.

In a message posted online and social media, Guthrie wrote in an email,

“No intention to resign, nor have I been removed from Chief Deputy. I trust everyone at the [Attorney General’s office] understands that when I told Ms. Terlaje that I felt that I wanted to smash the faces of the powers-that-be at the Guam Bar, I was referring to the intensity of the anger I felt at being so disrespected by the powers-that-be, and was not announcing an intention to actually smash anyone.”

Guthrie also responded to our request for comment writing,

"These events occurred yesterday at the Civil Service Commission after the Commission adjourned for lack of a quorum. Ms. Terlaje mentioned a lawsuit brought against the Guam Bar Association by various Bar members. Ms Terlaje is President of the Guam Bar Association. The lawsuit concerns an amendment to the Bar’s bylaws which strips voting rights from “Temporary Members”. I told Ms. Terlaje that I objected to the amendment"

"I then told Ms. Terlaje that I had not received advance notice of the election at which the amendment was voted on. Ms. Terlaje then speculated on the reason I had not received notice of the election, intimating that."

"Others had not received notice of the election as well. Her words were technical gobbledegook, and I formed the distinct impression that she was trying to bullshit me."

"Most significantly, at no time did she claim that I, in fact, had received the notice of the election. At that moment I realized that I had deliberately not been notified of this election by the cabal that runs the Guam Bar, and I uttered the words comprising the “assault” of which I am accused."

"My exact words were: “This makes feel that I want to smash the faces of the powers-that-be at the Guam Bar. Ms. Terlaje then asked if that meant that I felt like I wanted to smash the faces of the GBA Board, and I said “yes”. She then asked if I felt that I wanted to smash her face? I answered “yes” and immediately followed with the words, “I am not threatening you”. Despite what it says in today’s article, I did not touch Ms. Terlaje nor did I back her up.. Significantly, I was only accused to have “tried to touch" at the press conference that occurred yesterday. Apparently, only later someone erroneously thought that "touching" is a necessary element of criminal assault, so "touching" was added to the criminal complaint. Fortunately, all this occurred in a scrum of people, so I have plenty of witnesses to back me up."