a. Title and Citation. These are the Local Rules of the United States District Court
for the Northern Mariana Islands. They should be cited as “LR ____.”
b. Effective Date. These Rules become effective November 1, 2017.
c. Scope of the Rules. These Rules apply in all actions and proceedings in this Court.
They supplement the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and will be construed to be
consistent with those rules and to promote the just, efficient, and economical
determination of every action and proceeding. If any local rule is or becomes in
conflict with a federal rule or statute, the federal rule or statute applies. These Rules
apply in all actions and proceedings, including criminal, admiralty and bankruptcy
actions, except if inconsistent with rules or provisions of law specifically applicable
thereto.
d. Relationship to Prior Rules; Actions Pending on Effective Date. These Rules
supersede all previous Rules promulgated by this Court or any judge of this Court.
When justice requires, a judge may order that an action or proceeding pending
before the Court prior to the effective date be governed by the prior practice of
the Court.
e. Rule of Construction and Definitions.
1. United States Code, Title 1, Chapter 1, will, as far as applicable, govern the
construction of these rules.
2. The following definitions will apply:
A. The word “court” refers to the United States District Court for the
Northern Mariana Islands, and not to any particular judge of the
Court.
B. The word “judge” refers to any United States district judge, or to a
designated judge assigned pursuant to 48 U.S.C. § 1821(b)(2), or to
a part-time or full-time United States magistrate judge who exercises
jurisdiction in a particular proceeding.
C. The word “clerk” means the clerk of court or a deputy clerk of court
for the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana
Islands.
D. “CM/ECF” means “Case Management/Electronic Case Files” and
refers to the electronic case management and filing system
developed by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts
and implemented by this Court in the District for the Northern
Mariana Islands. Any references in these rules to an electronic filing
system mean the Court’s CM/ECF system.
