The High Court of American Samoa is a Samoan court and the highest court below the United States Supreme Court in American Samoa. The Court is located in the capital of Fagatogo. It consists of one chief justice and one associate justice, appointed by the United States Secretary of the Interior, holding office during "good behavior" and removable for cause. As American Samoa has no local federal district court or territorial court, the High Court has also been granted the powers of a federal district court in certain matters while other federal matters are handled by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.
The High Court of American Samoa also has several Samoan associate judges who sit with the two justices. Normally, two associate judges will sit with the chief justice and associate justice on every case.
The Secretary of the Interior retains ultimate authority over the courts.
The colonial-style Maugaolii High Court served as the U.S. Navy headquarters during World War II.Schermeister, Phil (2016). National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States. National Geographic Books. .
Organization The High Court consists of four divisions:3.0207 Divisions and sessions—Composition, Annotated Code of American Samoa, American Samoa Bar Association.3.0501 Family, Drug and Alcohol Court Division—Establishment, Annotated Code of American Samoa, American Samoa Bar Association. the trial division; the land and titles division; the family, drug and alcohol division; and the appellate division.
The trial division, which consists of the Chief Justice, the Associate Justice, and associate judges, is a court of general jurisdiction, empowered to hear, among other things, felony cases and civil cases in which the amount in controversy exceeds $15,000 and are not related to land or matai titles.3.0208 Jurisdiction of divisions, Annotated Code of American Samoa, American Samoa Bar Association.
Justices Current justices NameStartAppointerLaw School, Chief Justice (R)VUWGWU (LLM) (R)Howard
Historical members The past and present justices of the court:
NameAssociate StartAssociate EndChief StartChief EndAppointer——19211937 (under Harding)——19371943 (under F. Roosevelt)1945196619631966—— (under Kennedy)19661970—— (under Johnson)——19661968 (under Johnson)——19681972 (under Nixon)1971197519751976 (under Nixon)——19721975 (under Nixon)1976197719771978 (under Ford)1976197819781981 (under Ford) (Associate Justice)Cecil Andrus (under Carter) (Chief Justice)19801987—— (under Carter)——19811986 (under Reagan)1988199119861988 (under Reagan) (Chief Justice)Donald P. Hodel (under Reagan) (Associate Justice)198719881988present (under Reagan)19912017—— (under G.H.W. Bush)2019present—— (under Trump)
See also Judiciary of American Samoa Article I and Article III tribunals#Article IV tribunals
References
External links American Samoa Legal Database