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Newswatch

Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, January 20, 2001

Tobacco settlement lawsuit is dismissed

A federal judge has thrown out a claim by four Medicaid recipients who sued to get a share of the settlement the state received from tobacco companies.

Chief U.S. District Judge David Ezra dismissed the lawsuit, according to an announcement yesterday by state Attorney General Earl Anzai.

Hawaii was one of 46 states that sued tobacco companies to recover the cost of providing care for the victims of smoking illnesses. Hawaii stands to receive about $1.3 billion of the total $206 billion settlement.

Plaintiffs Cirilo Cardenas, Alejandro Asprer, Margaret Palting and Lex Bautista asked for a share because they are afflicted with smoking-related illnesses.

According to the attorney general's office, "the court ruled that to order state officials as claimants request would be similar to telling the state how to disburse state funds from the tobacco settlement." Such a lawsuit, the court ruled, is not permitted in federal court.

Honolulu attorney resigns practice

Honolulu attorney George K. Noguchi has resigned from the practice of law.

The Hawaii Supreme Court announced that it has accepted his resignation in lieu of discipline. A lawyer may avoid action by the Disciplinary Board by submitting an affidavit acknowledging that he knows he could not successfully defend himself against matters under investigation.

The court does not release information on allegations made in disciplinary matters.

Noguchi, 65, a graduate of George Washington University, was admitted to the Hawaii bar in May 1969.

Looking Ahead

Some events of interest

8 a.m. tomorrow, Ala Wai Neighborhood Park: 16th Annual Ala Wai Challenge.

10 a.m., Monday, state Capitol, House Chambers: Gov. Ben Cayetano delivers the State of the State Address.

1 p.m. Monday, Kamamalu Building: Pest Control Board Application Committee meeting, Kuhina Nui Room, 2nd Floor.

5:30 p.m. Monday, Wahiawa District Park: Wahiawa/Whitmore Vision Meeting.

6:30 p.m. Monday, Aikahi Wastewater Treatment Plant: Kailua Vision Meeting, Administration Building.

7 p.m. Monday, Wahiawa Recreation Center: Wahiawa Neighborhood Board meeting.

Clarification Attorney Emmett Lee Loy represents Hawaiian homesteaders who were denied a motion to intervene this week in the Barrett vs. State of Hawaii case. A story Thursday did not identify the group as homesteaders.

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Police, Fire



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

'Black Beard Bandit' robs bank in Kailua

The "Black Beard Bandit" has struck again.

Police said the suspect in a Kailua bank robbery yesterday matches the description of the man whose use of disguises in eight earlier robberies led to the nickname.

The robber yesterday took an undisclosed amount of cash in the 2:54 p.m. holdup at First Hawaiian Bank at 705 Kailua Road.

The FBI has linked the Black Beard Bandit to eight unresolved holdups last year, seven occurring in Pearl City and Waipahu.

The most recent robbery was Dec. 22 at City Bank's Kaneohe branch. The suspect was seen fleeing toward Kailua in a light turquoise or blue-green '90s model pickup truck, possibly a Dodge Dakota.

He has been described as having wavy, neck-length hair and a pock-marked face. Yesterday, he wore the fake beard and a baseball cap, with a green-blue shirt, dark jeans and a black fanny pack. He is in his mid-30s, between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighs about 170 pounds.

Honolulu police artists and the FBI forensic unit in Quantico, Va., have worked to enhance prior bank surveillance photographs to create a likeness of the suspect without the beard.

CrimeStoppers will pay a $1,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Call 955-8300 or, from cellular phones, *Crime.

Suspect arrested in Kapahulu holdup

A Waikiki man was arrested by police and FBI agents for the Thursday morning holdup at First Hawaiian Bank's Kapahulu branch.

Frank K. Moniz, 37, was held in federal custody last night awaiting a federal court appearance.

Police said they were led to investigate Moniz after several people called CrimeStoppers and the FBI to identify the suspect from a bank surveillance photograph shown on television.

The bandit took money from a teller in the 11:34 a.m. robbery at 433 Kapahulu Ave.

Tips to CrimeStoppers led police to another wanted man Thursday night.

Milton Siaosi Aifili, 36, was identified by callers who saw his photograph on a poster distributed in Kalihi Thursday evening.

Aifili was sought on a probation revocation warrant for a prior felony drug charge and two domestic violence cases in which the woman victim suffered a ruptured eardrum and was choked.

CrimeStoppers will pay a cash reward up to $1,000 for information that leads to arrest of a suspect. Calls to the hot line at 955-8300 are kept confidential.

Firefighters extinguish burning garage, car

Firefighters extinguished a burning garage at Castle High School last night and the blazing car parked next to it.

Police say the 1995 Nissan Altima was stolen from Keolu Cinemas in Kailua between 9:15 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. yesterday and was set on fire.

The car was destroyed. Firefighters had the blaze under control three minutes after arriving at 11:25 p.m.

They remained for another hour to ensure that a racing car housed in the garage was safe, said Battalion Chief Manuel Neves.