Chief Justice Torres: Judiciary is committed to justice that serves all

Chief Justice Robert Torres addressed the 38th Guam Legislature Thursday morning, emphasizing a commitment to a quality justice system for the local community. "Ladies and gentlemen, the state of our Judiciary is committed to justice that serves all of us," announced His Honor. He sent a loud and clear message during his State of the Judiciary Address.

"Justice happens when we do the hard, unglamorous work of looking deeper; when we remember that protecting the community is not just about who we take off the streets, but what are we building in their place," Torres said.

He shared the podium with Valerie Perez, a graduate of the Family Recovery Program, who shared her story, saying, "There was a time when I had no hope, no home and no future I could imagine myself living in."

"Recovery gave me a future, treatment gave me a chance to fight for it. And today, I am proud of who I am. I am no longer defined by what nearly broke me, but by the strength that brought me back."

The chief justice called on lawmakers to support treatment over jails, saying, "It’s times like these that it’s easy to listen to the loudest voices, the ones that call for more punishment, more fear. But that’s not what our people are asking for.

"They’re asking for answers that work, a system that doesn't measure strength by how many people we lock up, but by how many people we lift up." 

Some were encouraged by his remarks, as Senator Sabina Perez said, "I’m very encouraged because I would like to work with the judiciary on an initiative that I have which is to increase awareness about early childhood development. Being that they are looking towards rehabilitation, specifically through the drug court and rehabilitating and reconnecting families back, that’s something I would really like to work with the Judiciary on."

Her legislative colleague, Senator Chris Duenas, said, "I thought it was a very strong speech. I think restorative justice is something that is really a balance in our community. Of course we need to have strong law enforcement as we know we have a lot of crime and a lot of issues in our community, but the truth is the balance to that is making sure that we have treatment programs and other programs to try to help those who need help to get out of a life of either crime or drug addiction."

On the other hand, Attorney General Doug Moylan stuck to his 'tough on crime' approach, noting, "I love the chief justice’s speech. It had to be said. But from the attorney general’s office’s perspective, we are here to enforce the law to protect our client, which is the law abiding people."