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Appellate Court postpones States vs. FSM case

POHNPEI, Palikir (FSM Information Service): April 2000 - The FSM Appellate Court has rescheduled the case of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Chuuk states versus the Federated States of Micronesia hearing until April 22 because a states' expert on the issue was delayed in Honolulu.

The issue being appealed stems from an original complaint filed by four states that argued that fishing fees collected by the FSM national government for fishing access to the FSM extended economic zone should be distributed to the states.

The FSM Supreme Court ruled against the states, and the states filed an appeal in April 1999.

The panel of judges heard arguments April 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. from several state's attorneys who said they weren't authorized to speak for the governors and that only John Van Dyke, an expert on the subject, could answer the questions to be considered.

The panel of judges said that it was postponing the case not to benefit the states, but to benefit the court, which felt that Van Dyke was the only person who could answer the questions it had to ask.