Fuimaono v. American Samoa Government

OPINION AND ORDER

Fuimaono was convicted by a jury of unlawful possession of the controlled substance of marijuana and possession of prohibited weapons. On appeal, he argues that his convictions should be reversed because 1) his prosecution was barred by double jeopardy; 2) evidence seized from an illegal Terry Stop was used as the basis of the prosecution; and 3) the evidence was insufficient to sustain a guilty verdict. We affirm Fuimaono’s conviction.

I. Factual Background

This case arose out of a traffic stop by police officers Aitasi Samoa and Abel Penitusi. On March 10, 2000, around 9:15…