Political patronage won over the battle to reorganize the Judiciary during session Friday.

Bill 48 originally passed with 13 votes, introduced by Judiciary Chairman Randy Cunliffe and Vice Chairman John Quinata, and vetoed by Governor Felix Perez Camacho.

At the session, only 9 out of 15 Senators voted for the override, one vote shy of the 10 necessary. The six senators who voted against the override were:

Joanne Salas Brown (R) Ordot - Chalan Pago	Republican Minority Leader Mark Forbes (R) Sinajana
Larry Kasperbauer (R) Dededo	Jesse Anderson Lujan (R) Tamuning
Ray Tenorio (R) Yigo	Democratic Vice Speaker Frank B. Aguon, Jr (D) Yona

Republicans Senators Joanne Brown, Mark  Forbes,  Larry Kasperbauer, Jesse Lujan, and  Ray  Tenorio. The sixth no vote was cast by  Democratic Senator and Vice Speaker, Frank  B. Aguon, Jr. One republican, Senator Robert  Klitzkie voted with the other 8  democrats in  favor of overriding the veto.
 

Throughout the day, rumors were afloat that  both Governor Camacho and Attorney  General Douglas B. Moylan were lobbying  heavily with republican lawmakers to defeat   Cunliffe’s override attempt with Camacho  calling from Japan, where he is marketing  Guam. Moylan has been an opponent of the  bill because of his proposed removal from  the  Judicial Council. Moylan also reportedly  opposes a measure that would immune  employees and agents of the Attorney Ethics  Committee and the Supreme Court of Guam  from any liabilities resulting from ethics  prosecutions.

Two Senators considered to be swing votes  on the measure included Senator  Kasperbauer  and Vice Speaker Aguon. Both  Senators voted in favor of passage of Bill 48  along with Senators Mark Forbes and Joanne  Brown. Senator Tenorio maintained his  voting  record against the Bill. Senator Lujan  passed 3 times equating to a no vote during  its initial passage.

Aguon, has received internal criticism from  democratic colleagues charging political  patronage. Aguon’s wife Jennifer, brother  Anthony, and sister Anna Marie are all court  employees.

Jennifer Aguon was an unclassified employee assigned to the Department of Law but resigned her job on  September 27, 2001 and was subsequently hired at the court.

September 30, 2001, was the date unclassified employees throughout the  Government of Guam were terminated. Aguon’s sister, Anna Marie was hired on March 31, 2003, as a data entry clerk while Senators were in legislative session considering Bill 48.