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PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE

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Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The absence of a Public Defender in Court most of last week, has been confirmed by the Office of the Public Defender — via their office secretary. Samoa News received word from the public in regards to a backlog of cases at the Court and it’s not helping without...
David Vargas
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Senate this week unanimously approved long time private attorney David Vargas as Public Defender. This follows a confirmation hearing held on Tuesday. The office was without a Public Defender for several days in July after  former Public Defender Mike White resigned...
Michael White
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The budget for the Public Defender’s office proposed for the new fiscal year amounts to $453,000, barely an increase from $440,000, especially when compared to the proposed budget for the Department of Parks and Recreation, which amounts to $1.02 million — whereas last...
Marie Alailima
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In the government’s motion to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to deny a request for review and motion for Summary Judgment by a former employee of the Public Defender’s office, the government argued that the motion was improperly and prematurely filed and requested...
Acting Public Defender Michael White
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Suicide among juveniles was one of the issues raised by Sen. Fonoti Ta’ifa Aufata during the Senate Judicial Committee confirmation hearing as Public Defender for Michael White — a father of four children. Young people committing suicide is the latest hot topic issue in...
Acting Public Defender, Michael White
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — With an ever increasing case load — both felony and misdemeanor cases — acting Public Defender Michael White plans to petition the governor to increase he number of attorneys with the Public Defender’s Office, which now has only two working attorneys, including White...
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Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Public Defender’s office is facing a shortage of attorneys, after two attorneys left the territory on the charter medical flight on Monday, leaving the office with only two attorneys. The two former public defenders who left the island are Rob McNeil, whose contract...
Associate Justice Fiti Sunia
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A woman accused of violating local drug laws has entered into a plea agreement with the government. Although the court was having a difficult time finding out if the defendant understood the different between “guilty” and “not guilty”, the defendant, Siapu Lameta Agae...
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Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Assistant Public Defender Rob McNeill admitted to the court that it was his office’s fault that caused defendant Peniata Ala to miss one of his hearings before the Court. As a result, Ala was arrested last month pursuant to a court order and remanded into custody without...
Associate Justice Fiti Sunia
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Associate Justice Fiti Sunia has advised Assistant Public Defender Rob McNeill to hire an “Independent Translator” if the Public Defender’s Office continues to be short staffed — that is not have on staff people who can translate terms of plea agreement with their...

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