City must pay $42,607 in lawyer fees for lost case, judge rules
Circuit Judge Kevin S.C. Chang has awarded $42,607 in attorney's fees to Daniel Foley, who represented Friends of Arnold Morgado in their successful challenge of the city's campaign financing ordinance.Foley's fees for the case totaled $41,600, and his expenses came to $1,007.
The city is responsible for paying the award.
In February, Chang struck down a 1995 city ordinance that limits campaign donations to city candidates.
Chang found the ordinance conflicts with state statute since it prohibits contributions by a person who would be allowed to contribute up to $2,000 under the state law.
State law defines "person" as an individual, partnership, committee, association, corporation or labor union and its auxiliary committees.
Former drug boss testifies against ex-police officer
A former drug king pin who may get four years knocked off his 12-1/2-year sentence after testifying against a former police officer said the officer worked for him for money.Frank Moon yesterday testified that Alfredo Villanueva Jr. got a portion of $6,000 every other week in late 1993 to enable Moon and his partners to weed out potential police informants from their organization.
Moon said he met Villanueva, a police officer for 16 years, in 1993 and wanted him to check the names of possible drug suppliers through police systems.
He also said he wanted Villanueva to warn him about upcoming police raids and bring him cigarettes in the cell block if anything happened.
William Harrison, Villanueva's attorney, said in his opening statement that his client thought he was checking for violent backgrounds on union members for his close friend and union member Parson Iosua.
He said Villanueva didn't know that Iosua worked with Moon and that he parted ways with Iosua when he found the two were involved in drugs.
Island Paradise will remain open for two more years
Island Paradise Academy in Kaimuki, slated to close at the end of this school year, will remain open for at least two more years.Yesterday, Vice President Pamela Kapana confirmed the school had secured a $300,000 loan from First Hawaiian Bank.
"It'll pay off our old debts and give us some working capital to carry us through two more years," said Kapana, whose grandmother opened the first Island Paradise school. "We have a business plan and we are moving forward."
The school's next step is to seek nonprofit status.
The academy in March had announced it was closing because of declining enrollment and growing debt. The school hadn't made a profit in 10 years.
Rising insurance rates and strict government regulations were also making it hard for the for-profit school to stay in business.
Parents cried when the decision was announced, but one parent stood up and convinced them they could work together and help the school. They decided to fight and are elated they're making a difference.
"It's a miracle it's gone this far," said Susan Fusuma, parent of Jessica Song, 7, who has attended the school since kindergarten.
Parent Winston Gample, owner of Kahala Caterers, who's sharing his business expertise to help market the school agrees.
"It's a great thing to save a school. Businesses go out, but when you lose education -- it's the foundation of our society."
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffWaipahu man arrested for gunshot
Police last night arrested a 47-year-old Waipahu man for allegedly firing a gun from his car.Last Wednesday, the man asked to borrow tools from two Waipahu men on Mahoe Place and Waipahu Street, but they refused, police said. Last night, the suspect saw the two men walking and reportedly fired one round at them from his car, police said.
Female inmate booked for assault
Police yesterday arrested a 31-year-old Women's Community Correctional Center inmate for allegedly assaulting a corrections officer. The incident is the second reported assault at the prison in two days.The woman allegedly punched the corrections officer in the nose while being moved to a holding unit at 7:30 a.m., police said.
She was booked for second-degree assault.
Kahului man, 60, critical after crash
WAILUKU -- A Maui man is in critical condition at Queen's Medical Center this morning after a two-vehicle crash, authorities said.Maui Police Sgt. Arthur Dadez said the injured 60-year-old Kahului man suffered head and chest injuries in the crash at 6:37 a.m. yesterday in Kihei.
The car the man was driving on Mokulele Highway hit a pickup truck at Piilani Highway.
The driver of the pickup, who was wearing a seat belt, was uninjured, Dadez said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Prints help finger burglary suspect
KAILUA-KONA -- Police recovered stolen antique coins and jewelry valued at more than $40,000 yesterday after fingerprints found at the scene of an April 13 burglary in Captain Cook led them to a suspect, they said.Shayne Lucena, 24, of Captain Cook, was charged with burglary after his identity was determined using the police Automated Fingerprinting Identification System.
He is being held in lieu of $10,000 bail.
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