With a unanimous vote in the Senate today, Rev. Asaua Fuimaono has been cleared to be the territory’s new Public Defender.
Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean said there was no need to question the reverend, and all he could say was to thank Rev. Asaua for accepting the Governor’s nomination to this difficult job.
Tuaolo, a former associate judge of the High Court, said he doesn’t know how the Office of the Public Defender can function with its mere budget of over $400,000. He was expecting the governor would allocate $1.5 million for the agency. The Senate President questioned the administration’s priorities, pointing out that the office handled more than 1,700 cases, and badly needs funding to hire new attorneys. 
He asked for the current number of attorneys in the Office of Public Defender and was told just 2.
Tuaolo said there was no reason to delay Rev. Asaua’s confirmation, but for the Senate to work on getting adequate funding for him to hire additional attorneys.
The Senate President did ask about the possibility of recruiting an attorney from Samoa Faaolesa Katopau Ainuu, who is licensed locally to help him. Rev. Asaua said this was a decision up to the Chief Justice and the American Samoa Bar Association.
Faaolesa was the Minister of Justice in the last HRPP Government and previously practiced law in the territory.
Rev. Asaua thanked Senators for their confidence in him, and said he will depend on God in carrying out his duties. He said the Office of the Public Defender needs to hire more attorneys to handle the workload. There’s not enough time for one or 2 attorneys to help all the individuals represented by their office, he said.
Senators voter 14-0 to confirm Rev. Asaua as Public Defender.
