honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, December 13, 2003

Campaign defendants press lower-court issue

Advertiser Staff

Nine people accused of funneling illegal campaign contributions to Mayor Jeremy Harris are challenging a judge's refusal to transfer their cases to a lower court.

In documents filed with the Hawai'i Supreme Court, attorney Carl Varady said the misdemeanor cases should be moved from Circuit Court to District Court, where most misdemeanors are heard.

At issue is which judge should rule on the cases if they go to trial. Circuit Judge Dan Kochi ruled Monday that the cases should remain in Circuit Court since they originated there through grand jury indictments.

A defense attorney and a prosecutor each said Monday that the other appeared to be "forum-shopping," or trying to influence the outcome of the cases by steering them to a particular courtroom or judge.

Several judges have granted defendants the chance to wipe their records clean in similar cases. But Circuit Judge Steven Alm recently issued the first jail term since the campaign probe began nearly two years ago.

The defendants are due back in Circuit Court Monday for arraignment. They include R.M Towill Corp. executives Nancy K. Matsuno, Kenneth T. Sakai, Roy Tsutsui, and retired Towill controller Robert Y. Ko.

The others are John Adversalo and Daniel K. Rosario, along with Hawai'i County deputy clerk Jay Mende, his brother Donn S. Mende, and their mother Masae Mende.