Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Bail is set at $1,500 for a man arrested by police last month on the allegation he assaulted his wife inside their house. The man made his initial appearance in Court and he was remanded back to the custody of the government until bail is posted.

The defendant, who is not new in the court system, is facing one count of 3rd-degree assault and count of resisting arrest, both class A misdemeanors, punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to one year, and a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

(To protect the identity of victims in domestic violence cases, Samoa News is withholding the names of the parties involved).

During court proceedings last month, the defense attorney asked that his client be released on his own recognizance, arguing that his client is a first time offender who has been employed at the cannery for over 15 years now. He said his client is a hard working family man and he has secured another place to stay while his case is pending.

The prosecutor strongly opposed the defense’s motion, saying the allegations against the defendant are serious and he must be kept in custody to ensure the victim's safety.

The court however said that based on the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident, the court feels the bail amount already set is reasonable.

The defendant’s case has been transferred to the Family, Drug & Alcohol Court (FDA), and his next hearing will be next month.

According to court documents, around 11:45 a.m. on Apr. 3, 2022, the alleged victim was brought into Central Police Station by a representative from the Department of Human Social Services because she was allegedly assaulted by her husband. The matter was then handled by a detective from the DPS Criminal Investigation Division (CID).

The government claimed that the woman seemed scared and hesitant to talk to police when she first brought in for interview. However during the interview, she agreed to talk.

She then stated to police that her husband came home intoxicated and they got into a verbal confrontation at their home, which eventually led to a physical alteration when the defendant allegedly assaulted his wife by punching her in the face. The victim walked away but when she turned around, he punched her again. She then walked into the house to compose herself.

Around 12:40 p.m on the same day, police officers headed to the family’s home to locate the defendant. Police found him at home, and he was asked to accompany them to the police station but he refused.

The defendant told investigators that the allegation is not true and he’s not going to the police station. He pushed away officers as they tried to place handcuffs on him, but finally, he was apprehended and taken to the police station for questioning.

While on his way to the police station with police officers, the defendant called his wife and asked her why she went to the police. According to the government, the husband became agitated and questioned his wife’s actions and belittled her over the phone. He was then told by police officers to hang up the phone.

That is when the defendant told police that his wife was trying to stop him from drinking and socializing with friends when he got off work.

Police then asked the husband if he assaulted his wife, and his response was “yes”. The husband did not go into details of what happen.

After he was Mirandized, police officers again asked the husband if he assaulted his wife. The defendant again stated, “Yes”.