02-11-2012, 09:42 PM
Mitch was not in the loop on the "fire captain" case. I was and have typed two lengthy responses that have been knocked out twice for unknown reasons and the drafts have disappeared. New to this site. Sorry.
I would be happy, now that the case, and the related civil case are pau to discuss the specifics of that case and the related topics at length. The "fire captain" case had unique challenges in it that we can discuss.
It also had longstanding investigative deficiencies that are present in most negligent homicide investigations in this county that have nothing to do who the suspect is. Those include not assigning a prosecutor to the case immediately when a negligent homicide is suspected, the lack of a qualified accident reconstruction expert on island and ready to respond in a timely fashion when there is a traffic death and the lack of trained forensic criminalists to respond to the scene of traffic homicides.
In too many cases, we have to contract out to a Mainland expert who tries to deliver an opinion based on photographs and investigative reports that he did not take or write. Mitch has promised me at least that should he become the prosecutor those deficiencies will change.
Dale Cordero, the father of the victim Mr. Tim Sing told the Court that in his opinion the police investigation was really poor in this case. He thought it was poor because of some type of conspiracy. I agreed that the investigation was poor but I have seen others that were equally poor not because of some ulterior motive but because the resources have not been put where they need to be.
Regarding judges: We have the same two circuit court judge positions in Hilo that we have had for the last 30 years despite a huge growth in population in East Hawaii. That needs to change. Jurors put in 8 hours a day and sometimes hear less than 4 hours of testimony because those two judges have a ton of other things that have to be heard in the middle of trial. That needs to change. A 90 million dollar courthouse with the same two circuit court judge positions is outrageous and false progress of the worst sort and our elected officials share the responsibility. We can get a plastic bag ban. You would think we could address something more substantive.
You can have the hardest working police officers on the planet, and we have some, but if you do not give them the tools, you will not get the results that everyone wants.
Regarding marijuana prosecutions and criminal prosecutions in general:
I would be happy, now that the case, and the related civil case are pau to discuss the specifics of that case and the related topics at length. The "fire captain" case had unique challenges in it that we can discuss.
It also had longstanding investigative deficiencies that are present in most negligent homicide investigations in this county that have nothing to do who the suspect is. Those include not assigning a prosecutor to the case immediately when a negligent homicide is suspected, the lack of a qualified accident reconstruction expert on island and ready to respond in a timely fashion when there is a traffic death and the lack of trained forensic criminalists to respond to the scene of traffic homicides.
In too many cases, we have to contract out to a Mainland expert who tries to deliver an opinion based on photographs and investigative reports that he did not take or write. Mitch has promised me at least that should he become the prosecutor those deficiencies will change.
Dale Cordero, the father of the victim Mr. Tim Sing told the Court that in his opinion the police investigation was really poor in this case. He thought it was poor because of some type of conspiracy. I agreed that the investigation was poor but I have seen others that were equally poor not because of some ulterior motive but because the resources have not been put where they need to be.
Regarding judges: We have the same two circuit court judge positions in Hilo that we have had for the last 30 years despite a huge growth in population in East Hawaii. That needs to change. Jurors put in 8 hours a day and sometimes hear less than 4 hours of testimony because those two judges have a ton of other things that have to be heard in the middle of trial. That needs to change. A 90 million dollar courthouse with the same two circuit court judge positions is outrageous and false progress of the worst sort and our elected officials share the responsibility. We can get a plastic bag ban. You would think we could address something more substantive.
You can have the hardest working police officers on the planet, and we have some, but if you do not give them the tools, you will not get the results that everyone wants.
Regarding marijuana prosecutions and criminal prosecutions in general: