American Samoa Gov’t v. Tagaloa,

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ÐòòÔ_
ÔTUPULUAÔ_
Ô€Ô_
ÔTAGALOAÔ_
Ô,€Defendant€óóÐ
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ÐòòHigh€Court€of€American€Samoa€Ð
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ÐòòCR€No.€Ô_
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ÐòòApril€30,€1993óóÐ

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ÓòòEven€if€an€arrest€was€illegal,€a€bill€of€information€setting€forth€criminal€charges€is€not€necessarily€void.€U.S.€Const.€Amend.Ð

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ÐòòThe€district€court€is€authorized€to€issue€process,€and€an€arrest€warrant€is€a€form€of€process.€Ô_
ÔA.S.C.A.Ô_
Ô€ðð€3.0304,€Ô_
ÔT.C.R.Cr.P.Ô_
ÔÐ

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Ð4(c)(1).€óóÐ
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ÐBefore€Ô_
ÔKRUSEÔ_
Ô,€Chief€Justice,€Ô_
ÔMAILOÔ_
Ô,€Associate€Judge,€and€Ô_
ÔBETHAMÔ_
Ô,€Associate€Judge.€Ð
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ÐCounsel:€For€Plaintiff,€Donald€M.€Ô_
ÔSheehanÔ_
Ô,€Assistant€Attorney€General€Ð
&&
Ѐ€€€€€€€€€€€€€For€Defendant,€John€L.€Ward€II€Ð
 
ÐDefendant€Ô_
ÔTupuluaÔ_
Ô€Ô_
ÔTagaloaÔ_
Ô€brought€two€pre-trial€motions.€Ð
öö
Ѐ€€€€A.€On€Motion€for€Relief€From€Prejudicial€Joinder€Ð
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Ѐ€€€€Defendant€seeks€a€separate€trial.€He€asserts€that€the€jury€will€be€unable€to€distinguish€or€compartmentalize€the€evidence€against€eachÐ

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Ðdefendant.€He€is€also€concerned€that€the€charges€being€brought€against€two€of€the€other€defendants€are€more€serious€than€those€beingÐ

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Ðbrought€against€him,€creating€a€situation€where€he€might€be€found€guilty€by€association.€Ð
––
Ѐ€€€€While€we€do€not€make€a€decision€on€the€merit€of€these€arguments€or€the€ability€of€proper€jury€instructions€to€adequately€address€theseÐ

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Ðconcerns,€our€decision€to€grant€a€limited€severance€should€assuage€the€defendant's€fears.€Utilizing€the€sound€discretion€which€informs€theÐ

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Ðdecision€to€sever€co-defendants€under€Ô_
ÔT.C.R.Cr.P.Ô_
Ô€Rule€14,€we€order€òò[24ASR2d38]€óóthat€defendant€Ô_
ÔTupuluaÔ_
Ô€Ô_
ÔTagaloaÔ_
Ô€shall€be€tried€withÐ

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ÐSwain€Ô_
ÔMeleiseaÔ_
Ô€and€Ô_
ÔMasefauÔ_
Ô€Ô_
ÔSuiaunoaÔ_
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Ѐ€€€€The€Motion€for€Relief€From€Prejudicial€Joinder€is€therefore€GRANTED,€on€the€conditions€stated€above.€Ð
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Ѐ€€€€B.€On€Motion€to€Quash€Arrest€Warrant€and€Dismiss€Information€Ð
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ÐThe€defendant€contends€that€the€warrant€for€his€arrest€was€issued€in€contravention€of€Ô_
ÔA.S.C.A.Ô_
Ô€ðð€46.0801€et€seq.€,€as€it€was€signed€by€theÐ

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Ðdistrict€court€judge€and€not,€as€the€statute€implies,€by€the€Chief€Justice,€the€Associate€Justice,€or€an€assistant€judge.€While€he€admits€thatÐ

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ÐÔ_
ÔT.C.R.Cr.P.Ô_
Ô€Rule€4(c)(1)€authorizes€the€district€court€judge€to€issue€arrest€warrants,€he€correctly€states€that€these€administrative€rules€ofÐ

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Ðprocedure€do€not€"trump"€statutory€declarations.€He€therefore€asserts€that,€his€arrest€being€invalid,€the€information€should€be€quashed.€WeÐ

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Ðdisagree.€Ð
Ä,Ä,
Ѐ€€€€The€Supreme€Court€has€established€that€even€an€arrest€warrant€which€is€Ô_
ÔviolativeÔ_
Ô€of€the€Fourth€Amendment€does€not€always€negate€theÐ

š.š.
Ðvalidity€of€the€information.€"[Ô_
ÔI]tÔ_
Ô€does€not€follow€that€because€the€arrest€was€illegal,€the€information€was€or€became€void."€Albrecht€v.Ð

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ÐUnited€States,€273€U.S.€1,€5€(1926).€While€we€give€no€opinion€as€to€the€validity€of€a€warrant€bearing€the€signature€of€the€district€courtÐ

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Ðjudge,€we€note€that€the€infringement€of€an€accused's€Fourth€Amendment€rights€seems€a€more€egregious€error€than€that€a€warrant,€issuedÐ

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Ðupon€probable€cause,€was€signed€on€the€first,€rather€than€the€second,€floor€of€this€courthouse.׃
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Ѐ€€€€The€Motion€to€Quash€Arrest€and€Dismiss€Information€is,€therefore,€DENIED.€Ð
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Ѐ€€€€It€is€so€ordered.€Ð
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