Holt pleads not guilty to diverting funds
Former state Sen. Milton Holt today pleaded not guilty to four new charges that he diverted political campaign funds to his personal use.Holt made no comment this morning as he left the courtroom with his attorney Reginald Minn.
U.S. Magistrate Barry Kurren has set a Sept. 8 date for trial on all charges.
The case will be heard by federal Judge Alan Kay.
Earlier this month, a grand jury indicted Holt for spending $5,000 in campaign funds for his car insurance premiums and relatives' birthday and wedding celebrations at the Honolulu Country Club.
Those charges came after the grand jury in October indicted Holt for diverting $9,940 from his unsuccessful 1996 re-election campaign. Holt has pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges.
Holt's plea comes after Kurren ordered him to a drug treatment center for violating the terms of his supervised release after he admitted to using crystal methamphetamine on March 2.
He also tested positive for amphetamine/methamphetamine on Jan. 2.
Correction
"Plum Garden at Kameido" is the name of the print by the artist Ando Hiroshige that ran in the Today section yesterday. An incorrect title was used, and the picture was mistakenly reversed.
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Police, Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffPolice/Fire
Storage area fire forces bar patrons to evacuate
More than a dozen patrons were evacuated this morning from a South King Street bar after fire swept through the building's storage area.No one was injured in the 2:45 a.m. blaze at Lois's Place, a karaoke bar.
Crews had the blaze extinguished at 3:30 a.m.
Fire investigators were trying to determine the cause early today.
Laie man, 21, charged with trying to kill infant
Police yesterday charged a 21-year-old Laie man with allegedly trying to kill his 6-week-old child.Samita Hall was charged with attempted second-degree murder, police said.
He is being held on $100,000 bail.
The mother brought her child to Kapiolani Hospital last week because the infant was unresponsive and didn't cry.
The infant was found to have extensive brain injuries.
Waipahu man arrested in rapes of 13-year-old
A 30-year-old Waipahu man was arrested yesterday in connection with the rape of a 13-year-old girl.The man reportedly raped the girl on several occasions last year, police said.
Baby's injuries prompt arrest of mom's boyfriend
Police yesterday arrested a Kaneohe man in connection with striking a 9-month-old infant for crying.On March 4 the mother took her child to Kapiolani Hospital because of bruising in the face and a bloody retina, police said.
The woman's boyfriend denied striking the child but later failed a polygraph, police said.
He later admitted to slapping the infant for crying.
Hilo man, 18, allegedly attempted to rob tourist
HILO -- Police charged John Pauline, 18, of Hilo with attempted robbery yesterday after he threatened a 62-year-old Kansas tourist with a knife in the Banyan Drive hotel area at 4:35 a.m. and demanded his wallet.The man said he didn't have a wallet, and Pauline and a companion left, police said.
Courts
Suspended prison guard indicted on drug charges
Suspended prison guard Richard Doolin was indicted yesterday for several counts of promoting a dangerous drug, crystal methamphetamine.A state grand jury indicted Doolin, a guard for the Department of Public Safety for 18 years, on two counts of promoting crystal methamphetamine, or "ice"; unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and promoting marijuana.
Doolin will most likely be dismissed from the department, said Warden Eric Penarosa. He is now serving a 30-day suspension from the department.
Penarosa, who worked with Doolin, said the guard had been "pretty low-key" and the drug charges surprised him.
Doolin had sued Honolulu Police Department last year because officers had beaten him and he received a settlement of more than $300,000.
Homeless woman on trial for murdering man
A murder trial has begun for Anita "Blackie" Brady, a homeless woman accused of stabbing a homeless man over $10 in Chinatown in August 1997.Her lawyer, David Hayakawa argued that Brady stabbed the victim in self-defense, not intending to kill him.
The state argued Brady picked up a knife and deliberately tried to kill the man. The prosecutor showed photos of Brady after her arrest and pointed out the only injury she suffered from the fight was a bruise to her eyebrow.
Hayakawa said the couple began to argue at 7 a.m. on Aug. 8 over $10 the man owed Brady. Instead of repaying her, the man bought a $10 bag of crack. Brady knocked it out of his hand in disgust, her attorney said.
The victim went ballistic and began beating Brady. She used her pocketknife to defend herself, Hayakawa said.
Judicial committee picks 6 candidates for judge
LIHUE - The names of six attorneys, including that of a county councilman re-elected in November, have been sent to the chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court as recommendations to fill a vacancy in District Court on Kauai.The Judiciary made public the short list sent by the Judicial Selection Commission to Chief Justice Ronald T.Y. Moon, who will make the appointment by mid-April. Moon's office released the list to seek public comment on the nominees.
If confirmed by the Senate, Moon's appointee will replace Judge Gerald Matsunaga, who retired in December.
The list includes:
Tax fraud convict gets 16 months in prison
Donald Bevans, 64, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for submitting false documents and making false statements to the Internal Revenue Service.U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway also ordered Bevans to pay $75,757 in restitution. Bevans was convicted in December.
Evidence presented at trial showed the falsification occurred during an IRS audit of his tax return and was done to avoid taxes owed on the sale of his residence at Lahaina.
Bevans sold his residence for $1.05 million and had a taxable gain of over $280,000 but claimed no gain on the sale.
When the audit occurred, Bevans submitted documents which falsely inflated his construction costs in order to conceal his gain, the U.S. attorney's office said. He has been in custody since the guilty verdicts were returned Dec. 4.
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