Title 7, Civil Procedure

Bounced Checks: Definitions. As used in this article: (a) “Bank” includes depository. (b) “Check” includes any draft or order upon any bank or depository or upon or to any person for the payment of money. (c) “Payee” includes any transferee of the payee. (d) “Person” includes any…

Bounced Checks: Treble Damage and Attorney’s Fees. (a) Any person, who makes, utters, draws or delivers any check, payment of which is refused or dishonored due to lack of funds or credit to pay, or is refused or dishonored because the maker has no account with the drawee bank un…

Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Defendant” means a person (including corporation, association, partnership and firm or governmental entity) against whom a litigation is brought or maintained or sought to be brought or ma…

Security. In any litigation pending in any Commonwealth court, at any time until final judgment is entered, a defendant may move the court, upon notice and hearing, for an order requiring the plaintiff to furnish security or for an order dismissing the litigation pursuant to 7 CM…

Evidence. At the hearing upon the motion the court shall consider any evidence, written or oral, by witnesses or affidavit, as may be material to the ground of the motion. Except for an order dismissing the litigation pursuant to 7 CMC § 2454(b), no determination made by the cour…

Determination; Dismissal. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, if, after hearing the evidence upon the motion, the court determines that the plaintiff is a vexatious litigant and that there is no reasonable probability that the plaintiff will prevail in the l…

Security Not Furnished. When security that has been ordered furnished is not furnished as ordered, the litigation shall be dismissed as to the defendant for whose benefit it was ordered furnished. Source: PL 21-11, § 2 (§ 105) (Oct. 30, 2019), modified.

Ten Days to Plead. Except as provided in 7 CMC § 2454(b), when a motion pursuant to 7 CMC § 2452 is filed prior to trial the litigation is stayed, and the moving defendant need not plead, until 10 days after the motion shall have been denied, or if granted, until 10 days after th…

Prefiling Order. (a) In addition to any other relief provided in this article, the court may, on its own motion or the motion of any party, enter a prefiling order which prohibits a vexatious litigant from filing any new litigation in the courts of the Commonwealth without first …

Vacate Prefiling Order. (a) A vexatious litigant subject to a prefiling order under 7 CMC § 2457 may file an application to vacate the prefiling order and remove his or her name from the clerk of court’s list of vexatious litigants subject to prefiling orders. The application sha…

Order of Court for Release of Confidential Information: Procedure An application to a court for an order requiring the Commission or its members or employees to release any information declared by law or regulation or Commonwealth Casino Commission Order to be confidential or oth…

Commonwealth Casino Commission May Refuse to Disclose Certain Information Commonwealth Casino Commission may refuse to disclose or reveal certain matters in court or administrative proceedings. The Commonwealth Casino Commission may refuse to reveal, in any court or administrativ…

Applicability of Common Law. In all proceedings, the rules of the common law, as expressed in the restatements of the law approved by the American Law Institute and, to the extent not so expressed as generally understood and applied in the United States, shall be the rules of dec…

Short Title. This chapter may be cited as the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act of 1994. Source: PL 9-41 § 1. Commission Comment: PL 9-41 took effect June 5, 1995. The Revised Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act was approved by the National Conference of Commi…

Definition. In this chapter “foreign judgment” means any judgment, decree, or order of a court of the United States or of any other court which is entitled to full faith and credit in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Source: PL 9-41 § 2.

Filing and Status of Foreign Judgments. A copy of any foreign judgment authenticated in accordance with an act of Congress or the statutes or court rules of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands may be filed in the office of the Clerk of the Superior Court. The clerk s…

Notice of Filing. (a) At the time of the filing of the foreign judgment, the judgment creditor or the judgment creditor’s lawyer shall make and file with the clerk of court an affidavit setting forth the name and last known post office address of the judgment debtor and the judgm…

Fees. Any person filing a foreign judgment shall pay to the clerk of court a filing fee equal to that established by court rule for the filing of civil actions. Source: PL 9-41 § 5.

Stay. (a) If the judgment debtor shows the Superior Court that an appeal from the foreign judgment is pending or will be taken, or that a stay of execution has been granted, the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign judgment until the appeal is concluded, the time for appea…

Optional Procedure. The right of a judgment creditor to bring an action to enforce its judgment instead of proceeding under this chapter remains unimpaired. Source: PL 9-41 § 7.

Uniformity of Interpretation. This chapter shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states and other jurisdictions which enact it. Source: PL 9-41 § 8.