Former UH student
guilty in golf-ball assault

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By Debra Barayuga
dbaryuga@starbulletin.com

A former University of Hawaii student who admitted to hitting a golf ball into the UH softball stadium, striking an Iolani player in the mouth, was found guilty today of second-degree assault.

Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto said Daniel Copperud's actions - hitting two golf balls into the stadium while a game was under way was "unquestionably reckless" conduct.

Amy Taniguchi, an Iolani center fielder lost a tooth, had her two front teeth pushed in and had several other teeth jarred in the incident which occurred during the state championship semi-finals in February.

The defense had argued that losing a tooth does not constitute serious bodily injury and that Taniguchi had testified herself that she is OK.

The defense said they will appeal the judge's decision to the Hawaii Supreme Court.

But the judge said, "this is not just a case of a lost tooth." The force of the golf ball had significant impact on Taniguchi and had she not been already wearing a retainer on her lower teeth, "her loss and injury would have been worse," Sakamoto said.

Sakamoto said the most "credible" evidence of whether Taniguchi suffered serious bodily injury -- defined as protracted loss or impairment -- was her testimony that she still cannot use her front teeth and has to tear food into pieces before she can chew.

Today, her two front teeth are gray and dying.

The lost tooth, which was never recovered, has been replaced by a temporary one and doctors have said her mouth has to fully heal before she can have a permanent tooth put in.

Victor Bakke, Copperud's attorney, said the court did not follow the law in issuing its decision and that the case has received special treatment because Taniguchi was an Iolani student.

Finding Copperud guilty of second-degree assault was equating a lost tooth to loss of an eye, Bakke said.

Copperud, described by the defense as a good student who has never been in trouble with the law before, faces up to five years in jail when sentenced Nov. 20.