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Court Report

IOANE LOGOVI’I

 

Ioane Logovi’i, facing first-degree assault and public peace disturbance, pleaded guilty to third degree assault, which was amended from assault first degree. The plea further stated that the defendant was to enter a guilty plea to the PPD charge.

 

The defendant upon questioning from Chief Justice Michael Kruse informed the court that he admits putting the knife against the complaining witness. Kruse asked the defendant if he agrees that it's unfair that he was the only one charged in the altercation, and if the complaining witness should have also been charged, to which the defendant replied “yes”.

 

Kruse accepted the plea agreement and released the defendant (who has been in jail since January 2013) on his own recognizance pending sentencing this coming Friday.

 

According to the government’s case, police received a report by a complaining witness that the defendant had stabbed him in the hand.

 

According to the government’s case, Emergency Medical Services treated the injuries the victim sustained from the alleged attack, and it’s alleged the injuries were not serious.

 

Police confiscated the knife from the defendant’s residence, and it was turned into the police evidence room.

 

SEX CASE AGAINST FILIPINO MAN POSTPONED

 

The government’s case against a Filipino man facing sexually related charges involving a four-year-old girl was in court for a pre-trial conference  yesterday, however Assistant Public Defender Leslie Cardin informed the court that government has yet to hand over discovery and other evidence, such as interviews captured on video.

 

The 46-year-old defendant is charged with child molestation and endangering the welfare of a child. He is accused of inappropriately touching the child. Samoa News is withholding the defendant’s name to protect the identity of the victim in this case.

 

The child molestation count is a class A felony punishable by imprisonment for life, or from ten to thirty years in jail with a mandatory minimum prison term of ten years without probation or parole. The endangering charge is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both.

 

Cardin informed the court that she anticipates to file additional motions and asked Chief Justice Michael Kruse to postpone the case for another 45 days.

 

Kruse granted the request for a 45-day pre-trial conference and scheduled a status hearing on May 12, 2013 to see if discovery has been handed over to defense by the government.

 

According to the government’s case, on Jan. 20, 2013 the LBJ hospital Social Services reported the sexual abuse of a four-year-old girl to the Police Station in Tafuna.

 

Court filings say the victim calls the defendant her uncle. The victim and her parents lived together with other people in a seven-bedroom house that is rented by different families and the defendant is among the tenants.

 

VAIMALU LAMETA

 

Vaimalu Lameta, facing second-degree assault following a fight in Pago Pago, entered a guilty plea yesterday before Chief Justice Michael Kruse. He is released out on bail of $10,000.

 

He was charged with second-degree assault and Public Peace Disturbance.

 

In the plea deal with the government, Lameta entered a guilty plea to third degree assault, which was amended from second degree, while the government moved to dismiss the PPD count. Kruse accepted the plea agreement and scheduled sentencing on June 7, 2013.

 

According to the government’s case, on July 30, 2012 a man walked into the Central Police Station and reported the defendant had allegedly assaulted him, during a basketball game with the defendant. It’s alleged the defendant told the victim they needed to talk, and then the defendant punched the complaining witness in the face.

 

The court filings did not specify what prompted the alleged fight. The Chief Justice ordered a probation report in this case.