OKESENE ALO

The District Court has dismissed without prejudice sex charges against former Public Safety Officer Okesene Alo, who is one of the four officers assigned to the Juvenile Detention Center and charged with misconduct including alleged illegal drug activities.

Alo was originally facing 35 charges — 28 felonies including 10 counts of rape, one count each of aiding and abetting of a rape (when the defendant allegedly put a female and male detainee inside a cell to have sexual contact), deviate sexual assault and first degree sexual abuse.

But following a preliminary examination hearing on Apr. 12th, District Court Judge Fiti Sunia dismissed 14 felony counts including all sexual related charges, saying the court was not satisfied with the evidence presented by the government as far as probable cause that a crime was committed.

However, the government re-filed the same 14 felony counts that were dismissed a few days later by the court. Last week Thursday, during a District Court hearing, the government moved to dismiss the charges and the court granted the motion.

Assistant Attorney General Gerald Murphy told the court that this case is still under investigation with plans to present new evidence to support the charges against the defendant.

Alo, who remains in custody unable to post $50,000 bond, still has his case pending in High Court where he is facing14 felonies including 4 counts of unlawful possession of methamphetamine and 7 misdemeanor charges.

TAVITA SAPE

Tavita Sape, guilty of underage drinking, got a stern lecture from District Court Judge Fiti A. Sunia when the defendant was sentenced late last week. Sunia spent time lecturing Sape about the consequences of not complying with all conditions of probation set by the court.

Sape was sentenced to 12 months probation, which includes 18 days in jail. However, the jail term is waived under several conditions that Sape must abide by, including being subjected to random alcohol testing for alcohol and attending and completing alcohol counseling.

Sunia explained that alcohol testing can be administered at any location where Sape is found — for example, on the bus, at his home, or when visiting the probation office at the court building.

As for the waived jail term, Sunia told the defendant to go home and think seriously about the chance the court has given him because failure to comply with the court's order means that Sape may end up spending 18 days in jail, or even more.

Sape has been ordered to pay a $100 fine and to find a job.