American Samoa § 3.0209 - Power to hear and determine cases.

§ 3.0209. Power to hear and determine cases.

(a) The Chief Justice or the Associate Justice shall have power to hear and determine alone any preliminary or supplementary matter in any case before the appellate, trial, or land and titles divisions of the High Court and to enter an order with respect thereto, including an order of dismissal where the dismissal is not contested or where a plaintiff has moved for dismissal and the defendant has not filed a pleading. (b) In the land and titles division, a decision must be rendered in a case within 60 days from the submission of the case for decision by the court. Amendments: 1977 Subsection (b): added. 1979 Subsection (b): “submission of the case for decision by the court” was substituted for “close of the case”. Case Notes: A single justice has the authority to issue an alternative writ, schedule a hearing, and set a briefing schedule; however, resolution of substantive issues, other than in connection with any preliminary or supplementary matter, requires a quorum of two justices and one associate judge. A.S.C.A. §§ 3.0209, 3.0220. In re Complaint of Voyager, Inc., 24 A.S.R.2d 90 (1993).