Assault, theft bring
judge’s son 8-day term

Richard Simms also gets probation
for the Mililani attack

The son of a former judge was sentenced yesterday to eight days in prison and five years' probation for threatening and assaulting an innocent passer-by and then stealing the car of another man who stopped to help.

Richard Simms, 26, pleaded no contest Nov. 15 to second-degree terroristic threatening, third-degree assault, driving without a license, striking an unattended vehicle, driving while intoxicated and auto theft.

The charges stemmed from a series of incidents on Feb. 3, 2004, when he taunted, then assaulted a 17-year-old boy outside the Shack, a restaurant/bar in Mililani.

He then jumped into the car of a man who had stopped to help and drove off, crashing the car a short distance away. He was caught hiding in nearby bushes by police.

Simms, son of former Circuit Judge Sandra Simms, apologized and expressed remorse for the impact the incident has had on his family and the victim, Justin Ashe.

Circuit Judge Michael Wilson said that although the police reports show two of Simms' friends were involved, he was the one who provoked it and was the prime contributor.