(BPI #021)

Practice Areas:  

• Linkages with comprehensive victim advocacy and services

• Procedures for emergency hearings and orders

• Procedures for service of process for temporary orders

• Procedures for hearings on the final order

• Standardized civil protection order elements

Date of Implementation: Approximately 1991

Overview: Guam law mandates that the Superior court protect the victims of family violence by providing access to both emergency and long term civil remedies and sanctions.  Expedited hearings and issuance and service of protective orders are the most effective means to achieving the goal of protecting victims and the public. Superior Court marshals seize firearms if ordered, assess the offender and regain custody of children and property.

Key Elements:

• Viable ex parte process for the quick handling of orders. Ex parte applications are heard twice a day by a designated judge and may be heard at other times upon a showing of good cause. The process allows restraining order applications to be heard, signed, and promptly entered upon the docket. 

• Expedited service of orders. Once the order has been signed, the clerk who has docketed the order will notify the Marshal’s Division that the order is ready for service and the Marshal will immediately collect the document and effectuate service. Depending on the seriousness of the violence, the time span from when the party enters the Superior Court until actual service could be as little as an hour. After normal hours, at least two marshals are assigned to serve orders.  Service is done on the most serious cases first. 

• Necessary parties.  The judge, on duty clerk, marshal, Child Protective Services, and protective shelters are all necessary to make the process work.

Evaluation: Evaluation data currently not available.  The jurisdiction maintains statistics on the average number of hours to effectuate service of orders and the number of marshals needed to perform the service.

Other Support: The program is supported by the Guam Legal Services Corporation.

Contact & Related Links: 

Anthony Sanchez
Administrative Director
Superior Court of Guam
Judicial Center
120 West O’Brien Dr.
Hagatna, Guam 96910
(671) 475-3330
(671) 477-3184 Fax

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