Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands v. Young Il Kawano (Aka Eiichi Sai) (Aka Eiichi Kawano), Hideki Hanada, and Koichi Yoneda

Hideki Hanada, Koichi Yoneda and Young II Kawano (aka Eiichi Sai) (aka Eiichi Kawano) appeal their convictions in the trial court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI or Commonwealth). The Appellate Division of the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands affirmed their convictions. We vacate the judgment of the district court and dismiss the appeal for want of federal jurisdiction.

PROCEEDINGS

Hanada and Yoneda were convicted of • murder in the first degree in the killing of Hideo Shirigami and Kawano was convicted of the crime of principal to murder. They raise several challenges to the procedure at the trial including the claim that their right to confrontation, guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment, had been denied by the trial court’s curtailment of their cross-examination of the principal prosecution witness.

We are unable to reach the issues, however, if we lack jurisdiction of the appeal.

JURISDICTION

Our jurisdiction to review the district court depends on the existence of jurisdiction in the district court. Its jurisdiction has been challenged. Two separate legislative enactments from two different legislatures bear on this…