The Guam Legislature's Committee on Economic Investment, Military Buildup, Regional Relations, Technology, Regulatory Affairs, Justice, Election, and Retirement held a public hearing Friday for Magistrate Judge Jonathan Quan, who is seeking reappointment to the Superior Court of Guam.
Chaired by Senator Telo Taitague, the hearing drew testimony from Chief Justice Katherine Maraman, Associate Justice Philip Carbullido, Attorney General Douglas Moylan, and more than a dozen attorneys, legal professionals, and personal acquaintances — all expressing support for Quan's reappointment.
Quan, 8 years on the bench, was first appointed in 2018 and reappointed by the Judicial Council in 2022. His current term expires September 4, 2026. Legislative confirmation is required for further service.
Chief Justice Maraman praised Quan's handling of a demanding caseload, his leadership of the judiciary's electronic monitoring pilot program, and his chairmanship of the Criminal Law and Procedure Review Commission.
Quan told senators his court handles approximately 1,500 criminal magistrate hearings annually, with two magistrates collectively managing around 15,000 total cases. He said his team has gotten off the bench as late as 8 p.m. after hearing more than 100 cases in a single day.
Data submitted by Quan showed confinement rates ranging from 53% to 60% from 2023 to 2025, in 2026 that rate is at 57%. He says that 92.1% of defendants released pretrial are not charged with a new crime.
Senator Taitague said she plans to introduce legislation addressing pretrial release concerns raised by the Attorney General. She indicated the legislature would be asked to confirm Quan during the July session, ahead of his September term expiration.