Conviction upheld in Kona DUI death

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

The Hawai'i Supreme Court has upheld the manslaughter conviction of a man who killed a California tourist in a drunken-driving crash in Kailua, Kona, on Feb. 23, 2002.

Kona Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra sentenced Stephen St. Clair to 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty under Hawai'i law for a manslaughter conviction. The Hawai'i Paroling Authority set St. Clair's minimum term at 15 years.

A van driven by St. Clair crushed Jane O'Brien, 58, of Santa Barbara, Calif., against a rock wall as she stood on the shoulder of Ali'i Drive outside Hale Halawai O Holualoa Church.

St. Clair's blood-alcohol level was 0.21 percent, or more than double the legal standard of 0.08 percent. He testified during his trial he drank two 24-ounce bottles of beer and most of a 12-pack at Holualoa Beach Park before the crash.

A jury last year convicted St. Clair of manslaughter, drunken driving, second-degree reckless endangering and of not having insurance.

St. Clair had five previous convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol in Canada, but Ibarra refused to allow those convictions to be admitted as evidence. However, Ibarra did allow Deputy Prosecutor Linda Walton to introduce facts underlying one of the convictions at trial. St. Clair's lawyer appealed, arguing the court should not have allowed any evidence of the past convictions to be introduced.

The Supreme Court disagreed, upholding the conviction and clearing Walton of allegations of misconduct.