Kaneshiro said he assessed the ability of Arakawa, Randal Yoshida and Peter Carlisle to work with others and considered current knowledge of the criminal justice system, qualifications and integrity. He said a cooperative working relationship must be maintained within the law enforcement community and Arakawa has shown "he can work with people."

Kaneshiro said Carlisle and Yoshida are disciples of the combative Charles Marsland-style of prosecution.

"If we elect any of these two guys, this office is in danger; the community is in danger."

Yoshida responded today, saying, "It's so ironic that Mr. Kaneshiro is supporting a defense lawyer who for 12 years has been trying to get criminals out of prison."

The real reason Kaneshiro is supporting Arakawa, Yoshida contends, is that Arakawa helped Kaneshiro in his campaign against Marsland and himself in 1992. "This is political payback and this is politics at its worst," he said.

Carlisle said, "Keith's unexpected departure from the race left his supporters with a void. . . . David is his friend and David represents a continuation of status quo in that office."

Arakawa said Kaneshiro didn't ask him to run for prosecutor. He said he never talked to Kaneshiro about seeking the job, nor did Kaneshiro discuss the endorsement with him.

"It's not just a matter of friendship or a political type of issue," Arakawa said, noting that Kaneshiro has worked with all three candidates and knows their strengths and weaknesses.

Kaneshiro said Arakawa's support of more prison space, his perfect trial record as a deputy prosecutor and experience as a defense attorney put him ahead in all categories for the Sept. 21 special election.

Kaneshiro said the prosecutor "must have impeccable character," and he criticized Yoshida for "making an investment in a West Loch housing development, a city development that was supposed to be a housing project for affordable homes."

Also, he said many of the special crime units Yoshida proposes already are in place, and that his idea about creating an elite group of prosecutors and police officers is disturbing. Yoshida said Kaneshiro "should get his facts straight" about the West Loch deal. He said he bought the home at market value and had a corporation counsel opinion that it was legal for a city employee to make such an investment.

Regarding elite units, he said, "Let's let the record of a 15-year high in the crime rate speak for itself."

Kaneshiro said Carlisle "is not the great trial attorney he says he is" and lacks knowledge of the current criminal justice system.

For example, he said, Carlisle talks about the Henry Huihui case and "Peter Carlisle did not try the Henry Huihui case - it was tried by the federal government."

Carlisle said, "The feds had Huihui too, but the life sentence was a state sentence" and he was the attorney who asked for it.