28 May 2015

Guam clerk fired after rape case thrown out

7:56 pm on 28 May 2015

A court clerk on Guam has been fired after an administration error resulted in a rape case being thrown out.

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Photo: supplied

The Pacific Daily News reports the case concerns James Corpuz, who is accused of raping and molesting a girl.

Under Guam's 'speedy trial' laws, Mr Corpuz was supposed to have stood trial by the 15th of April.

On the 23rd of April, his lawyer filed a motion to dismiss the case, saying the deadline for a speedy trial had passed.

Judge Vernon Perez dismissed the case, but refused to dismiss it without prejudice, which would have barred prosecutors from re-filing the charges.

Mr Corpuz has since been re-indicted.

An investigation found the case didn't go ahead because the trial wasn't listed on the court calendar by the clerk responsible.

The administrator of courts, Joshua Tenorio, says there wasn't a reasonable explanation for the mishap, and the clerk has been sacked.