Title 7, Civil Procedure

Rules of Evidence Adopted by Judiciary: Exception. Except as provided in this chapter, the admission and exclusion of evidence shall be in accordance with the rules of evidence adopted by the Commonwealth judiciary pursuant to 1 CMC § 3402. Source: PL 3-19, § 1; see also N.M.I. C…

Privileges: Spouses. (a) Privileges: Spouses. Neither husband nor wife may be compelled to testify against the other in the trial of an information, complaint, citation or other criminal proceeding. (b) Exception. There is no privilege under this subdivision: (1) In a civil proce…

Privileges: Certain Conversations With Anthropologists Privileged. (a) Subject to the limitations provided in this section, conversations held with an anthropologist in confidence in his or her professional character shall be privileged. (b) No statement made in such a conversati…

Authentication of Records: Official Records. Books or records of account or minutes of proceedings of any department or agency of the United States of America, the Commonwealth, or of the Trust Territory, or of any predecessor thereof, shall be admissible to prove the act, transa…

Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury. Whenever, under any law of the Commonwealth, any matter is required or permitted to be supported or proved by the sworn statement, declaration, verification, certification, oath, or affidavit in writing of the person making the same (other th…

Short Forms of Acknowledgment. The forms of acknowledgment set forth in this section may be used and are sufficient for their respective purposes under any law of this Commonwealth. This form shall be known as “Statutory Short Forms of Acknowledgment” and may be referred to by th…

Acknowledgment Under Law of Other States and Countries. The acknowledgment of any instrument without the Commonwealth in compliance with the manner and form prescribed by the laws of the place of its execution, if in a state, a territory or insular possession of the United States…

Evidence in Eminent Domain Actions. No offer or counteroffer for the sale, purchase or exchange of land shall be admissible as evidence in any eminent domain action in either the Commonwealth Trial Court or the Federal District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Nor shall ev…

Compulsory Disclosure of Communications Prohibited. (a) Except as provided in 7 CMC § 3310 or 7 CMC § 3311 below, a victim or victim counselor may not be compelled, without appropriate consent, to give testimony or to produce records concerning confidential communications for any…

Exceptions. The privilege provided under 6 CMC § 3309 does not apply to (1) Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect under 6 CMC §§ 5311-5316; (2) Evidence that the victim is about to commit a crime; (3) A proceeding that occurs after the victim’s death; (4) A communication re…

Waiver. (a) A victim does not waive the protections provided in 7 CMC § 3309 by testifying, except that, if the victim partially discloses the contents of a confidential communication in the course of testifying in a civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding, then either part…

Inference from Claim of Privilege; Instruction. (a) The claim of a privilege under 7 CMC § 3309, whether in a present proceeding or upon a prior occasion, is not a proper subject of comment by a judge, hearing officer, legislator, or counsel. An inference may not be drawn from th…

Definitions. In §§ 3309-3312 of this chapter, (a) “Confidential communication” means information exchanged between a victim and a victim counselor in private or in the presence of a third party who is necessary to facilitate communication or further the counseling process and tha…

Short Title. This chapter may be cited as the Contribution Among Joint Tortfeasors Act. Source: 6 TTC § 551. Commission Comment: Many provisions in this chapter are similar to provisions in the Revised Uniform Contribution Among Tortfeasors Act approved by the National Conference…

Right of Contribution. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, where two or more persons become jointly or severally liable in tort for the same injury to person or property or for the same wrongful death, there is a right of contribution among them even though judgment…

Pro-Rata Shares. In determining the pro rata shares of tortfeasors in the entire liability: (a) Their relative degrees of fault may not be considered; (b) If equity requires, the collective liability of some as a group constitutes a single share; and (c) Principles of equity appl…

Enforcement. (a) Whether or not judgment has been entered in an action against two or more tortfeasors for the same injury or wrongful death, contribution may be enforced by separate action. (b) Where a judgment has been entered in an action against two or more tortfeasors for th…

Release or Covenant Not to Sue. When a release or a covenant not to sue or not to enforce judgment is given in good faith to one of two or more persons liable in tort for the same injury or the same wrongful death: (a) It does not discharge any of the other tortfeasors from liabi…

Retroactivity. This act shall not be deemed to create any right or remedy to any joint tortfeasor in favor of whom the provisions of this chapter would otherwise apply, where such joint tortfeasor’s cause of action accrued prior to the effective date of this chapter, and to this …