Four women involed in Faleniu land dispute sentenced

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The four defendants — all women — in a land dispute that resulted in criminal charges being filed have all been sentenced to 6 months probation.

Romas Talitameasina Napoleone, Malologa Heather, Fuefuealii Taalili, and Lavinia Fruean all pled guilty to private peace disturbance, amended from the initial charge of public peace disturbance.

All four appeared in District Court yesterday morning where Judge Elvis P. Patea said, "In the court's experience, with inter-family disputes, especially when there is no sitting matai, is that it tends to linger and surface again."

With that said, Judge Patea added that probation will be handed down for each of the four defendants; however, "if it happens again, the court will hand down more than just probation."

Each defendant is also ordered to pay $100 within 30 days and they are advised to "stay out of trouble."

The charges against the defendants stem from a land dispute that turned physical in October 2018 in Faleniu.