NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

CHILD SEX ABUSE SOLs

Historical CSA SOL Treatise

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CURRENT CIVIL SOL

There is no civil SOL for CSA, trafficking, or CSAM and all claims against all defendants are permanently revived.

CIVIL SOL SNAPSHOT

AGE CAP

CSA: None

Trafficking: None

CSAM: None

REVIVAL LAW

Permanent Window (never closes)

DISCOVERY TOLLING

None

CURRENT NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS CIVIL LAW

tit. 7 N.M.I. § 2515, No Time Limit for Child Sexual Abuse (SOL)

(a) Any claim arising from an incident of child sexual abuse may be commenced against a person, a legal entity, abusers, their enablers, their aiders or abettors, those acting in concert with them and their institutions at any time.

(b) Any claim arising from an incident of child sexual abuse that occurred in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands which has been barred by virtue of the expiration of the previous civil statute of limitations shall be permitted to be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction.

tit. 7 N.M.I. § 2503, Limitation of Two Years (SOL)

The following actions shall be commenced only within two years after the cause of action accrues:

(a) Actions for assault and battery, false imprisonment, or slander;

(b) Actions against the Director of Public Safety, a police officer or other person duly authorized to serve process, for any act or omission in connection with the performance of official duties.

(c) Actions for malpractice, error, or mistake against physicians, surgeons, dentists, medical or dental practitioners, and medical or dental assistants.

(d) Actions for injury to or for the death of one caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another, or a depositor against a bank for the payment of a forged or raised check, or a check which bears a forged or unauthorized endorsement. This subsection shall not apply to actions for injury to the former Saipan Credit Union or its depositors, shareholders, investors, or guarantors on account of their interest therein; provided, that such actions are brought within 10 years of the date of discovery of the injury.

tit. 7 N.M.I. § 2506, Disabilities (majority tolling)

If the person entitled to a cause of action is a minor or is insane or is imprisoned when the cause of action first accrues, the action may be commenced within the time limits in this chapter after the disability is removed.

tit. 7 N.M.I. § 2508, Extension of Time by Absence from Commonwealth

If at the time a cause of action accrues against any person, that person is out of the Commonwealth, the action may be commenced within the time limits in this chapter after the person comes into the Commonwealth. If, after a cause of action accrues against a person, that person departs from and resides out of the Commonwealth, the time of absence shall be excluded in determining the time limit for commencement of the action.

tit. 7 N.M.I. § 2509, Extension of Time by Fraudulent Concealment

If any person who is liable to any action shall fraudulently conceal the cause of action from the knowledge of the person entitled to bring it, the action may be commenced at any time within the time limits within this chapter, and within 2 CMC §§ 4991 and 4992, after the person who is entitled to bring the same shall discover or shall have had reasonable opportunity to discover that he has such cause of action, and not afterwards.

Case law

Cintron v. Bermudez, 6 V.I. 692, 693 (D.V.I. July 26, 1968).

Santiago v. Virgin Islands Hous. Auth., 57 V.I. 256, 273 (V.I. 2012) (articulating discovery rule standard)

CURRENT CRIMINAL SOL

CSA: There is no SOL for felony and misdemeanor CSA crimes.

Trafficking: There is no SOL for trafficking.

CSAM: There is no SOL for CSAM violations.

CRIMINAL SOL SNAPSHOT

CSA	NO SOL
TRAFFICKING	NO SOL
CSAM	NO SOL

CURRENT NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS CRIMINAL LAW

tit. 6 N.M.I. §107, Time Limitations for Beginning Prosecutions (no SOL)

(a) A prosecution for murder and for any crime involving sexual contact, physical or sexual abuse, exhibitionism or sexual exploitation, committed against a person under the age of 18 may be commenced at any time.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, prosecutions for offenses other than traffic offenses are subject to the following time limitations:

(1) A prosecution for an offense which is punishable by imprisonment for five years or more must be commenced within four years after it is committed.

(2) A prosecution for an offense which is punishable by imprisonment for six months or less, or by a fine only must be commenced within one year after it is committed.

(3) A prosecution for any other offense must be commenced within two years after it is committed.

(1) Any offense, an element of which is either fraud or a breach of fiduciary obligation, within one year after discovery of the offense by an aggrieved party or by a person who has a legal duty to represent an aggrieved party and who is himself not a party to the offense, but in no case shall this provision extend the period of limitation otherwise applicable by more than three years.

(2) Any offense based on misconduct in office by a public officer or employee at any time when the defendant is in the same public office or employment or within two years thereafter.

(3) Any offense for which a pending prosecution results in a dismissal without prejudice within one year from the date of such dismissal.

(4) Any offense involving or against the former Saipan Credit Union, or its depositors, shareholders, investors, or guarantors on account of or in connection with their interest therein, within 10 years after it was committed.

(d) The time limitation does not run:

(1) During any time when the accused is absent from this jurisdiction or has no reasonably determinable place of abode or work within this jurisdiction; or

(2) During any time when a prosecution against the accused is pending in this jurisdiction.

(e) A prosecution is commenced either when an information or complaint is filed, or when an arrest warrant or other process is executed without unreasonable delay.

Case Law

The information provided is solely for informational purposes and is not legal advice. To determine the SOL in a particular case, contact a lawyer in the jurisdiction.

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Last Updated: December 18, 2023