American Samoa Office of the Attorney General

Summary

The Attorney General is American Samoa's chief law enforcement officer under A.S.C.A. § 41.0207, with broad authority to prosecute criminal offenses committed by any person including law enforcement officers. The Criminal Division co-investigates with DPS on serious criminal matters and receives mandatory 72-hour reports from officers on domestic violence responses (A.S.C.A. § 47.0602). The AG can also trigger appointment of an independent prosecutor for conflicts of interest (A.S.C.A. § 4.0802). The AG has no formal civilian composition requirement and no binding discipline authority over officers — discipline remains internal to DPS — but serves as the primary external check on officer criminal conduct through prosecution.