Altercation with wife lands man in Family, Drug and Alcohol court

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man who was arrested and criminally charged following an altercation with his spouse has been remanded to custody, with bond set at $500.

Jake Ala made his initial appearance in District Court this week.

Judge Fiti Sunia told Ala that if he is able to post bond, he is to remain law abiding, make all his court appearances, and stay in contact with his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Ryan Anderson.

Ala is also ordered to make no direct or indirect contact with his wife and children, and he is to find someplace else to live while his matter is pending.

The case has been transferred to the Family, Drug, and Alcohol (FDA) court and Ala's next court appearance — his pretrial conference — is set for February 4 at 9 a.m.