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Jury duty surveys to be mailed soon

Within the next two weeks, the Hawaii State Judiciary will be mailing questionnaires to residents throughout the state for possible jury duty in 2006.

The 202,000 residents, 85,000 of them on Oahu, who receive the forms must complete and return them. Failure to do so may lead to penalty under the law.

Names were randomly selected from driver's license, voter registration and state income tax lists. The questionnaires will be used to determine juror eligibility. Jurors must be U.S. citizens, 18 years of age, Hawaii residents, and able to read and understand English.

Teen gets plea deal in attack on teacher

LIHUE » A 16-year-old charged as an adult with attempted murder in the attack on his Kauai High School teacher pleaded guilty to lesser charges yesterday in Circuit Court.

Andrew Sarita, who was 15 at the time of the attack last year, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree assault and second-degree criminal property damage in the plea deal, in which prosecutors dropped a second-degree attempted-murder charge, among others.

Sarita could get a maximum of 15 years in prison -- 10 years for the assault charge and five years for the damage charge -- when he is sentenced Oct. 11. He would have faced a life sentence for the attempted-murder charge.

According to prosecutors, Sarita went to Kauai High School after school last November and attacked his teacher with a machete. After the teacher and his other students escaped injury, Sarita slashed the tires and broke all the windows of the teacher's truck before running off. At the time, Sarita was supposed to be on suspension and house arrest.

A family court judge waived jurisdiction, allowing prosecutors to charge Sarita as an adult.

Last month, friends and relatives of Sarita held a protest in a park near the courthouse, claiming Sarita's case was handled unfairly and that the teacher was as much to blame for the incident as Sarita.

Murder suspect found competent for trial

LIHUE » A Kauai man accused of killing an 18-year-old woman was found competent to stand trial in Circuit Court yesterday, and his case was set for trial next January.

Richard Shannon Costa, 36, of Kalaheo, charged with the second-degree murder of Weslyn Jerves, was recently examined by three mental health professionals to see if he would be able to participate in his own defense. The panel decided that he was fit to stand trial.

A jury will now decide whether the former short-order cook knew right from wrong and was able to control himself at the time of the Jan. 17 stabbing.

According to court records, Costa and Jerves had taken a drive from Hanamaulu Beach Park, where Jerves was staying, to a parking lot near Glass Beach in Hanapepe.

After an argument, which, according to court records, Costa told police was over $20, Jerves pulled a knife. Costa then took the knife away and stabbed her many times before throwing her body out of the car and driving over her, court records indicated.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Reversing car hits and kills Big Island woman

Big Island police said a Hilo driver backing up his car fatally struck his neighbor, an 84-year-old Hilo woman, who was weeding next to his driveway.

Police determined that Fumiko Iko of Wailuku Drive was kneeling and weeding grass at the edge of her neighbor's driveway when she was hit by a car.

The 68-year-old neighbor was in his driveway when he reversed his car and struck Iko, police said. The accident occurred at 4:47 p.m.

Iko was taken by fire rescue to Hilo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m.

Police have begun a standard negligent homicide investigation, and an autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death.

This was the 21st traffic fatality on the Big Island compared with 25 at the same time last year.

Kauai fires believed to be intentionally set

LIHUE » Kauai Fire Department officials said fires that broke out in sugar cane fields on the way to a popular state park were probably intentionally set.

Fire personnel put out a number of small fires that broke out along Polihale Road both Saturday and Sunday.

"It's not likely that on two consecutive days, accidental fires will break out in the same general area at about the same time," acting Fire Chief Theodore Williams said.

The Fire Department is asking for the public's help in identifying possible suspects.

"Generally speaking, if you see anyone behaving suspiciously, please make a note of any details and call the proper authorities," Williams said. "We're glad no one was hurt in these fires, but you just don't know what might happen when a fire breaks out."

Anyone with information about the fires may call the Kauai Police Department, 241-1711; CrimeStoppers, 241-1887; or the Fire Department during normal business hours at 241-6500.

Williams also advised the public to exercise caution with home or camp fires or when discarding a cigarette.

HONOLULU

Boyfriend arrested for alleged knife threats

Police arrested a 21-year-old man who allegedly threatened his girlfriend and her roommate Friday night.

The suspect allegedly got into an argument with his girlfriend, 20, at a Kapiolani Boulevard residence about 11:30 p.m. and choked her. Later, the suspect went into the roommate's room, put a knife to her neck, and threatened to kill and rape her, police said.

The girlfriend managed to calm the suspect down while her roommate, 21, ran into the bathroom and locked the door, police said. Officers arrested the suspect under suspicion of abuse of his girlfriend and abuse and terroristic threatening involving the roommate.

Attack near Pearlridge leads to man's arrest

Police arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly beating his ex-girlfriend for money in the Pearlridge area last month.

On July 28, police said the suspect demanded money from the victim, 49, and allegedly attacked her when she said she did not have any. The suspect slammed her head against concrete stairs and punched her in the face, then fled, police said.

Officers found the suspect Monday in the Aala Park area and arrested him for investigation of second-degree robbery.