Ads by Google Ads by Google

Man arrested for assaulting his wife

American Samoa District Court building
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man accused of assaulting his wife is facing three counts of third degree assault and one count of public peace disturbance (PPD) — all misdemeanors.

Besides allegedly assaulting his wife, the defendant is also accused of assaulting a cousin who was trying to protect the victim. It’s also alleged in court filings that the defendant threw a chair at his uncle.

The alleged assault stemmed from a dispute between the defendant and his wife.

The 42-year-old defendant made his initial appearance last week in District Court.

Bail is set at $1,000.

The defense attorney requested a bail reduction but it was denied by the court.

The defense attorney told the court that the defendant is not a flight risk nor a dangerous person to the community, despite being arrested for the new crime. The government’s attorney strongly opposed the defense’s motion and asked the court to maintain bail at $1,000, which was accepted by the court.

If he posts bail, the defendant is ordered not to make contact with any government witnesses in this case — including his wife, the uncle and the cousin involved in the matter, and he is to remain alcohol and drug free.

In explaining the reason for the bail amount, the court said court records show that the defendant was previously convicted of third degree assault and PPD five years ago. She pointed out that the defendant is again before the court, for similar charges.