Friday, October 26, 2012

Musings: Wildly Inappropriate

Out into the chill of 66 degrees, glad for long pants and flannel shirt, stars brilliant, Jupiter, on the lesser than side of Triangle, lighting one end of the road, where the mountains are hulking, and Venus, hovering in a sky the faintest hint of pink, the other. And all the while, flashes of white, like sheet lightning, though no clouds can be seen.

It remains to be seen what rabbit Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho plans to pull out of the hat to turn the election in her favor. She missed a scheduled radio debate yesterday, reportedly claiming she was detained with work. Was it because the Grand Jury, which also met yesterday, failed to return an indictment she was seeking and had hoped to publicize? Curiously, the Jury is meeting again today, in what is a rare, if not unprecedented, occurrence on Kauai. As I, and others, have been saying all along: don't be surprised if Shay orchestrates a splashy “big crime solved, bad guy arrested” scenario in these last days of voting in an attempt to make herself look good.

Meanwhile, Shay has rewarded yet another loyalist with a fat raise. As I learned from a public records request, Shay recently promoted Kerrileen “Nani” Lizama, her campaign treasurer, to the position of program assistant, with an annual salary of $55,000. Previously, Lizama was making $32,430 a year as law office assistant. That's a whopping 72% pay hike — even bigger than the raise awarded to OPA blogger Charley Foster, who got a 45% pay hike within six weeks of being hired as the office's appellate attorney.

Curiously, though Foster found time to switch his political allegiance and hold sign for his boss, as well as start blogging on her behalf, he failed to file any opposition when convicted sex offender James Mundon asked the Hawaii Supreme Court to review an Intermediate Court of Appeals ruling where the prosecutor had prevailed. Strange how it wasn't a priority for a fulltime appellate attorney to respond to that request — especially since it was the one case that Shay took to trial as prosecutor. But then, perhaps Charley wasn't thinking straight, mesmerized instead by Shay's "thick, earthy pidgin creole." 

Meanwhile, does anyone else find it wildly inappropriate that both Charley and Shay's first deputy, Jake Delaplane, are publicly attacking Councilman Tim Bynum, who is the plaintiff in a lawsuit against their office and their boss?

Jake taped a segment on Hoike (it starts at the 16.50-minute mark) entitled “Where's the Rice Cooker?” where he accuses Tim of spreading “lies and misleading information” about the circumstances that led to Shay charging Tim with a misdemeanor zoning violation. Though Jake starts by identifying himself as the first deputy, he claims he is not speaking in his “official capacity.”

I think the people deserve the truth,” Jake says. But he fails to mention two key facts in the case: Jake and his entire office were recused because their inappropriate behavior created a conflict of interest, and all charges against Tim were dismissed.

Isn't it ethically inappropriate for Jake to continue trying a case on public access TV when he was recused and the charges were dropped? Doesn't that behavior put the county at risk of incurring even greater damages in Tim's lawsuit? 

Jake says that Tim has repeatedly claimed he was illegally prosecuted for a rice cooker. He then flashes a photo allegedly taken in Tim's family room that shows a sink with dishes and a refrigerator before saying, “Where's the rice cooker, Mr. Bynum?” Actually, we know there was a rice cooker, because planning inspector Patrick Henriques referenced it during a conversation that Jake secretly taped.

It's quite remarkable how Jake and Charley have stepped forward to do Shay's dirty work in this election. In the process, they've put their own professional reputations on the line. They may think it's worth it, to protect their boss and their six-figure salaries. But in a small legal community like Kauai, and even Hawaii, such actions don't go unnoticed.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is telling that you never contacted me or any of the other people you've savaged in your blog. You are obviously not interested in the truth. You would rather recklessly lob rhetorical grenades hoping to do maximum damage to people with whom you disagree politically. You want to bully them into silence or punish them if they speak out. Being fair or responsible in your treatment of them is out of the question. You would leave them to struggle to correct the record in your comments where you can anonymously ridicule them further.

Charley Foster

Anonymous said...

How ironic that the title of your blog is "Wildly Inappropriate," when you, Joan, is the only one that is wildly inappropriate here. You, like JoAnn, only use snippets of what you hear or what you read to skew readers with what you call "the truth."

Anonymous said...

"What is truth?"

- P. Pilate

Anonymous said...

Charley Foster: Would you please tell us why you didn't file a response in the James Mundon sex assault case - to the Defendant's application for review by the Hawaii Supreme Court? A Supreme Court clerk informed me that the prosecution did not file that response.

P.S. You shouldn't be posting during County work time. Please wait until after 4:30 p.m. to post.

Anonymous said...

As County workers, I believe that you are allowed 2 10-minute breaks. And I also believe he has a smart phone where he is allowed to post comments remotely.

Anonymous said...

Yes Charley. Come into Joan's comments and defend yourself against whatever she is accusing you and Jake of this time.

If Joan didn't ask for his input before she printed her story, then I sure don't see why he has any obligation to come defend himself. that seems to be what she wants.

Anonymous said...

Truth... isn't Nani Lizama her niece? Yes! And we're to be assured that she was the MOST appropriate person for the job within the Prosecutions office as well as Shay hiring her niece has nothing to do with being bias? GET REAL! Lord also knows that there will never be random drug tests done in that office, and if they were to conduct any, it'll be a cold day in hell that it will be given to her family members. (For failure). I strongly recommend, just because of the bullshit of the OPA, that each respective department heads be given the sole authority to administer random drug tests on other departments, that would keep all that idiots on their toes! And a good portion of them fired! By the way, we don't need to ridicule them further, they did a very good job of doing it all by themselves.

Anonymous said...

Boy...the Shay Team is on it this morning, yeah?

Joan Conrow said...

Charley, your comment would have more credibility if a) you didn't "savage" me and other people on your blog; b) you actually allowed comments on your blog so people could "correct the record" you present, and c) you offered some meaningful refutation to the information I've presented.

Anonymous said...

Go get 'em Joan! Like a true local girl. Stick it to the haole! They think they can just fly here and steal our aina.

Anonymous said...

Long time reader here. But I have to say, it does seem arrogant of you to accuse people of things without getting their side and then expect them to come explain themselves on your blog. Something about this political year seems to have changed you.

Anonymous said...

"They think they can just fly here and steal our aina."

Well, yes, they actually can.

Anonymous said...

Joan - we would really be interested in who you are voting for in the upcoming election? It may be too much to ask you to publish a full slate, but what about the County Council? Who and why?? Mahalo.

Anonymous said...

How one votes in America is personal and private!

Anonymous said...

In Hawaii only minors are required to have breaks. Deputy bloggers who defend themselves during work hours are not entitled to breaks. Did you sign out for vacation Charley? What about the Planet Kauai posts during work hours? Did you take vacation time to post? Isn't it theft to be paid to do work for the County while blogging? I know some former KPD officers who were convicted of theft for being paid to attend a seminar and instead went cruising. While Charley may not have taken 8 hours to post on his blog it is still wrong if he didn't do it on his own time. Especially when he can't even find time to oppose the rapist's request for review of his convictions. What's the priority, Charley?

Anonymous said...

Charley the Crybaby! Must apply to him. Give him a bottle and change his diaper during his nap time.

Dawson said...

Like the screeching pain of an infected tooth being pulled, the Good Ol' Boys and Girls are screaming at being outed.

It's a bad sound but a good sign.

Anonymous said...

Maybe he's been assigned "other duties as required" by his boss, including maintaining a web presence in any way deemed appropriate by his boss in furtherance of the agendas of his boss.

Maybe he is allowed "comp time" for any hours over 40 he may work/week.

Maybe you should get a life and not nit pick someone else's.

Sounds legit to me.

Anonymous said...

Comp time? The Fair Labor Standards Act doesn't apply to deputy bloggers.

Anonymous said...

Crybaby Charley whining about fairness and responsibility? He stopped allowing comments because his hypocrisy and stupidity were constantly being exposed on his own blog.

Anonymous said...

Yah, he's crying all the way to the bank.

Good for him!

Take it easy, but take it.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Mr. Repetition. Where have we heard your douche baggy comment before? Charley is whining about fairness and responsibility during work hours? He's a douchebag. No wonder you compliment him.

Anonymous said...

Put your crazy pills away and talk sense. Too much hate is not good even in politics.

Anonymous said...

When Justin is elected, I hope he cleans house of the bend-over lackies including Jake. The department needs some serious restructuring.

Anonymous said...

Shayme had an opportunity to defend herself on KKCR radio LIVE show this past Thursday.

She no show.....stating she has work to do.

You could have called into the show.....you know?

But I think she could not handle the "interrogation" by listeners who want to know what the heck is going on in that office of hers, trips to the mainland, inappropriate behaviors (what's her relationship with Mel Raposo) and her vendettas on those who oppose her.

Dr Shibai

Anonymous said...

Honolulu Star-Advertiser today announced the arrest of the former husband of Sandy Mendonca Galas for her murder. The big "cold case" Shay was working on that kept her away from the debate with Justin. Too much of a coincidence that this big announcement is made 10 days before election. Hoping people will forget all the other crap and remember only this latest headliner. Gotta hand it to her, she using all her bag of tricks. If she wins, Kaua'i deserves what they get with her.

Anonymous said...

Dr shibai,

I just have one question. Why would anyone call themselves "shibai" which basically means bullshit or lies.

Anonymous said...

I like Bu Laia or KK Kau Manua.

Anonymous said...

Shayme is the definition of what is wrong on Kauai!

Anonymous said...

"Why would anyone call themselves "shibai" which basically means bullshit or lies."

Because it's calling people on their bullshit