Escaped patient fights his return to islands
HONOLULU (AP) — A man who escaped from the state hospital on Oahu and flew to California is fighting his return to the islands.
Randall Saito will face an extradition hearing Dec. 5.
The Hawaii attorney general’s office says Saito appeared in court Monday in Stockton, Calif. He had the option of admitting his identity and returning to Hawaii or asking for a hearing to contest his extradition. He chose to challenge his extradition.
Saito has been a Hawaii State Hospital patient for nearly four decades since being found not guilty by reason of insanity of a woman’s murder.
He walked out of the hospital Nov. 12. Police arrested him in Stockton three days later.
Judge: Honolulu police corruption case is ‘complex’
HONOLULU (AP) — A federal judge says a corruption case against a former Honolulu police chief, his wife and current and former officers is complex, so he’s giving attorneys more time to prepare for trial.
Louis and Katherine Kealoha and their four co-defendants were scheduled to go to trial next month. A grand jury indicted them last month on allegations of conspiring to frame a man.
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright on Monday postponed trial to June. It’s estimated to last several months.
Some defense attorneys expressed concern they won’t be ready by then.
It’s possible the trial could be postponed further or there could be multiple trials.
Pilot project would allow sleeping in cars at park
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — People would be allowed to sleep in their vehicles overnight at a county park under a pilot project introduced by a Maui County Council member.
The measure calling for the “use of vehicles for human habitation” at South Maui Regional Park was referred Nov. 17 to the council’s Housing, Human Services and Transportation Committee.
Council Member Kelly King is pushing for the program. It will test if a broader ordinance would be doable and give homeless families with a car a place with access to bathrooms, she said.
State law prohibits people from living in their vehicles on public property. But King said the law allows counties wiggle room to enact bills.