Court Report

MAN CHARGED WITH ROBBERY FOR TAKING $3 SET FOR JURY TRIAL
 
A man accused of removing three dollars from the pocket of a 14-year-old has been charged with second degree robbery, misdemeanor stealing and public peace disturbance, and will be fighting his case in a jury trial scheduled for December 19, 2013.
 
Kennedy Sasala, who’s behind bars on bail of $10,000, was in court for his pre-trial conference when he requested a jury trial date, through his lawyer Assistant Public Defender Mike White, before Chief Justice Michael Kruse.
 
The robbery charge is a class B felony which carries a jail term from five to 15 years in jail, the stealing and PPD counts are misdemeanors and are both punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both.  
 
Court filings say that police spoke with the victim who claims that his mother gave him $30 to buy a speaker, was in front of a store in Faga’alu when the defendant approached him and asked him for money.
 
It’s alleged the defendant threatened to beat up the victim if he didn’t give him money and the victim did not respond. Court filings say Sasala reached into the victim’s pockets and pulled out the money, and took $3 from the victim’s $30 and placed the rest back into the victim’s pockets.
 
Police on the day of the incident approached the defendant at Faga’alu Park in a drinking session. Sasala denied having stolen the victim’s money, claiming the victim was a liar.
 
Court filings state police asked Sasala if he had anything in his pockets, and he pulled out several items from his pockets, including three dollars, which he allegedly said was the victim’s money.
 
PLEA NEGOTIATIONS ONGOING IN ASSAULT CASE
 
Plea negotiations are continuing in the government’s case against Polagi Vaimoe, who is facing second degree assault. Vaimoe was in court for his pre-trial conference when his attorney,  Assistant Public Defender Leslie Cardin informed the court that negotiations are ongoing in this case.
 
According to the government’s case, the victim reported that he and others were playing pool when three male individuals (whom they had never seen before) approached and wanted to play pool. It’s alleged all three men were under the influence of alcohol.
 
Polagi was among the three men. It’s alleged the three men grabbed cue sticks and started shooting the balls off the pool table to the ground. The victim noted that the cover of the pool table was ripped, and they told the three men to leave.
 
It’s alleged the three drunks walked away from the pool area and stood on the road and threw rocks towards the pool house and the apartments.
 
The victim said when he exited the house he was struck on the head with a rock thrown by the defendant.
 
 Chief Justice Michael Kruse rescheduled the pre-trial conference in this case for April 12, 2013.
 
Assistant Attorney General Camille Philippe is prosecuting the case.