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Courts — and TCF — cluttered up with nuisance charges

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man who was on probation for a drug conviction is now back in custody after he allegedly tested positive for marijuana during his monthly visit at the Probation Office this week.

Martin Tanielu appeared in High Court this week for his initial appearance and his Preliminary Examination (PX) is set for next month. He’s remanded back into custody without bond.

The defendant went to District Court last week to see his probation officer for his monthly visit. During his visit, his probation officer informed him he would need to take a drug test, the results of which turned out positive for marijuana.

Two years ago in 2018, the defendant was convicted of unlawful possession of methamphetamine and stealing. He stole money from his mother and used it to buy drugs.

It was clear from the court that it was the defendant’s drug addiction that drove him to steal from his own mother. While the defendant was in custody awaiting the outcome of his case, his mother passed away.

UALESI TAFILI

This week, Acting Associate Justice Elvis P. Patea sentenced Ualesi Tafili to 10 days behind bars, after being convicted of public peace disturbance while on probation.

Tafili was sentenced this week. He was on probation for 6 months after he was convicted last year of public peace disturbance, a class B misdemeanor. One of the many conditions of probation included keeping the peace with his girlfriend and remaining law abiding.

In the beginning of this year, police re-arrested him on another PPD charge for which he was convicted this week, the same date he was sentenced to 10 days incarceration for violating his 12-month probation. Tafili will have to spend 5 weekends in jail to cover his 10-day detention period.

He was ordered to report to jail today, Friday, Aug 14th at 6 p.m. and will be released on Sunday at 6 p.m. starting this weekend, until the second weekend of September 11-14, 2020.

Tafili was arrested during a public disturbance in Ottoville where he and his friends were involved in a fight with other young men around the neighborhood. He was loud and yelled profanities while holding a beer bottle in his hand.