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Terms Used In 5 Guam Code Ann. § 34143

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
) At any hearing contesting proposed income withholding based on a support order entered under § 34141 of this Chapter, the entered order, accompanying sworn or certified statement, and a certified copy of an income withholding order, if any, still in effect, shall constitute prima facie proof, without further proof or foundation, that the support order is valid, that the amount of current support payments and arrearages is as stated, and that the obligee would be entitled to income withholding under the law of the jurisdiction which issued the support order.
(b) Once a prima facie case has been established, the obligor may raise only the following defenses:
(1) that withholding is not proper because of a mistake of fact that is not res judicata concerning such matters as an error in the amount of current support owed or arrearage that had accrued, mistaken identity of the obligor, or error in the amount of income to be withheld;

(2) that the court or agency which issued the support order entered under this Act lacked personal jurisdiction over the obligor;
(3) that the statute of limitations under § 34149 of this Chapter precludes enforcement of all or part of the arrearages. The burden shall be on the obligor to establish these defenses.
(c) If the obligor presents evidence which constitutes a full or partial defense, the court shall, at the request of the obligee, continue the case to permit further evidence relative to the defense to be adduced by either party. However, if the obligor acknowledges liability sufficient to entitle the obligee to income withholding, the court shall require income withholding for the payment of current support payments under the support order and of so much of any arrearage as is not in dispute, while continuing the case with respect to those matters still in dispute. The court shall determine which matters are still in dispute as soon as

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possible, and, if appropriate, shall modify the withholding order to conform to that determination.
(d) In addition to other procedural devices available to a party, any party to the proceeding or a guardian ad litem or other representative of the child may adduce testimony of witnesses in another jurisdiction, including the parties and any of the children, by deposition, by written discovery, by photographic discovery such as videotaped depositions or by personal appearance before the court by telephone or photographic means. The court, on its own motion, may direct that the testimony of a person be taken in another state and may prescribe the manner in which and the terms upon which the testimony shall be taken.
(e) The Superior Court may request the appropriate court or agency of another state to hold a hearing to adduce evidence, to permit a deposition to be taken before the court or agency, to order a party to produce or give evidence under other procedures of that state and to forward to the Superior Court certified copies of the evidence adduced in compliance with the request.
(f) Upon request of a court or agency of another jurisdiction, the Superior Court may order a person in this Territory to appear at a hearing or deposition to adduce evidence or to produce or give evidence under other procedures available in this Territory. A certified copy of the evidence adduced, such as a transcript or videotape, shall be forwarded by the Clerk of the Superior Court to the requesting court or agency.

(g) A person residing on Guam may voluntarily testify by deposi- tion, statement or affidavit on Guam for use in a proceeding to obtain income withholding outside this jurisdiction.
SOURCE: Added by P.L. 18-017:38 (Oct. 5, 1985).