Jury to deliberate third day in Mirikitani case
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer
A federal jury will begin a third day of deliberations today in the federal corruption case against City Councilman Andy Mirikitani.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Jurors deliberated all day yesterday before being sent home.
City Councilman Andy Mirikitani, right, left the Federal Courthouse yesterday with his attorney, John Edmunds.
Mirikitani, a 45-year-old attorney, is accused of theft, bribery, extortion, wire fraud and witness tampering. His girlfriend, Sharron Bynum, is accused of aiding and abetting him in the theft, bribery and extortion cases.
The eight women and four men of the jury began deliberations on Friday. They did not meet over the weekend.
Two former Mirikitani aides, Cindy McMillan and Jonn Serikawa, testified that Mirikitani gave them nearly $26,600 in bonuses in exchange for the two giving him back $6,600, about half the bonus after taxes. Mirikitani denies receiving any cash from Serikawa and said that he never linked McMillan's bonus to $4,250 worth of campaign contributions she and her husband gave to him.
Mirikitani represents Council District V, which includes the communities of Manoa, Moili'ili, McCully, Tantalus, Makiki, Pawa'a, Ala Moana and Kewalo.
State law prohibits someone sentenced for a felony from holding public office. If Mirikitani were convicted, it's possible that he could remain in office until November, when sentencing is scheduled for defendants convicted in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor.
