The PEOPLE OF the TERRITORY OF GUAM, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Francis L. GILL, Defendant-Appellant
Opinion
Opinion
Trott, J.
OVERVIEW
Francis L. Gill appeals the District Court of Guam, Appellate Division’s affirmance of his jury conviction in Guam Superior Court for conspiracy to commit theft of immovable property, attempted theft, and conspiracy to tamper with records.
We have jurisdiction over this timely appeal pursuant to 48 U.S.C. § 1424-3 (c). We affirm the jury conviction on all three charges, but remand for correction of a clerical mistake.
BACKGROUND
1. Guam’s Land Registration System
This ease involves an alleged attempt by Gill, an attorney, to obtain title to government land through the manipulation of Guam’s land registration system. Guam’s Land Title Registration Act, codified at 21 Guam Code Ann. §§ 29101-29206 , is based on the Torrens system of land registration. Under this system, a claimant of a particular piece of property may submit a draft survey map of the claimed land to the Guam Department of Land Management (“Land Management”) for preliminary approval. After the map is returned, and any corrections suggested by Land Management are made, a final map, signed by both the claimant and surveyor, may be filed with Land Management for approval and recordation.