The Hawaii Supreme Court today upheld
the 2013 conviction of Vicente Hilario, who gunned down crime witness
Aureo Moore at Anahola Beach Park.
The high court ruled there was no lower court error in the trial, which found Hilario guilty of killing Moore
to prevent him from testifying against one of Hilario's friends, who
had robbed Moore of drugs at gunpoint in the Safeway parking lot.
Prosecutor Justin Kollar did the oral
arguments in front of the Surpreme Court.
Hilario was sentenced to life without
parole. He has remained incarcerated pending his appeal, serving a
10-year sentence on a separate weapons charge.
Posts
35 comments:
What timing - go Justin
What makes a person into a monster like this? How in the world did he ever think he'd get away with it? He isn't a member of the Clinton organization. ;-)
Now go after the people involved and not just the person who pulled the trigger. People know who set up the murder.
No he's part of the Trump organization, trying to figure out how they can use nuclear weapons in the middle east.
So which lawyer won the trial?
not la
Moore would be alive today if the people who helped get him killed didn't do what they did. They're getting away with murder and certain people on Kauai and else where know and know who they are.
In the states and else where, all those involved get prosecuted and not get away because they didn't pull the trigger.
Thank you Justin!!!
Who got the original conviction? Not JK.
Tomorrow is time to VOTE
Get up and do it.
Some races will be determined.
I don't approve of political jokes...I've seen too many of them get elected. - Anon
“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
― Winston S. Churchill
Joan - in your opinion, why is the drug trade on Kauai left virtually unchecked? The average person who doesn't have his or her head in the sand knows where drugs are being distributed. Many know who the dealers are. Why oh why can't KPD, the DEA or the FBI make a dent here? You basically have to kill someone to get busted here and even then you can roll the dice on whether you'll be arrested. Fortunately, this murderer is staying behind bars.
Melinda Mendes did the jury trial. Tracy Murakami wrote the arguments to the Intermediate Court of Appeals and Hawaii Supreme Court. Justin argued the case before the Hawaii Supreme Court.
5:59 because we like drugs and its our personal decision to use them. drug dealers are an integral part of society but if someone fks up, throw em in jail. but that doesnt mean the rest of us are criminals. protagorean (sp?)theory, live your life as you wish as long as it does not intrude on the lives of others.
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I don't think you all understand. Regarding the big meth bust in hanamaulu. The dirty pigs used those two to stalk me in their Chrysler 300 (several times). I sent an email to the feds and the dirty pigs had to bust them to cover up their deeds. As soon as they got popped the dirty pigs used their slave to post that I think I bad that I got their drug house popped. If you all only knew who is bringing the meth and heroin on kauai, you all probably wouldn't be surprised. It's the same with the Kapahi drug ring bust. They actually came from koloa and was known drug dealers and facing drug charges. They tried to get the same person for the dirty pigs but got got. How were they free for 2 1/2 years before the feds popped them? Kauai as why. The judicial system on kauai fosters and protects drug dealers and drug rings on island. Every neighborhood on island has a known drug house but nothing is done and racket business as usual continues while kpd tries to get accredited.
If you have been following the news over the past year or so, you would realize that a dent is being put in the drug trade. Record size busts have been happening. Major players who were once regarded as untouchable were picked up. This is a result of KPD, the DEA, and FBI working together.
There was absolutely no legitimate reason for Justin to make the oral arguments before the Supreme Court other than to pad his resume. Tracy Murakami is the Appellate DPA and was well versed in the case, prepared and having written the brief. Justin stole Tracy's thunder by taking the oral argument himself and now he gets to say he argued a murder case before the Supreme Court. Politics before Justice, Justin.
You choose to forget Tracy lost the case when she argued it to the Intermediate Court of Appeals. It's prudent and wise to bring in a different attorney to argue the case the second time.
Main thing, he won, so Justice was served.
Sounds like you're an Arin supporter trying to throw mud. Cheap shot.
I have no problem with Justin making the oral arguments. Yes, there probably was a political motivating factor. But, if he lost, he would have almost certainly lost. Now, flip a coin. You could also accuse Justin of actually being a good attorney and leader. This case needed the best since the murderer's guilt was beyond any reasonable doubt. I don't know who I'm voting for at this time but Justin grabbed the bull by the horns (or opportunity) and delivered.
7:13 AM Thanks for that perspective and clarification.
And collects side cash to keep up with the Alii's (or those who think that they are). It's a dangerous game that the dirty pigs play and those who suffer are just a means for them to reap the spoils.
Dear 7:13 AM
Tracy did not argue the case before Intermediate Court of Appeals. There was no oral argument there.
Tracy did the legal briefs to both the ICA and Supreme Court.
It actually was not prudent and wise to bring in a less experienced and less prepared attorney.
@8:13 Tracy lost at ICA whether she made oral arguments or not. Only a fool would send in the same person with no reinforcements and the same game plan. At the end of the day, Justin pulled it off. Only someone with sour grapes would quibble about the process at this point.
7:55am There was no risk for Kollar. If the appeal was lost, Kollar could have blamed the prior administration for the loss since the issue on appeal pertained to actions done by Shaylene. The Supreme Court ruled that Shaylene --gulp-- was right in the stance she took.
The best would have been Tracy Murakami doing the argument. She did all the research, and preparation, and has way more experience than Kollar doing oral arguments. A true leader would have let her do her job.
Protagoras: "There are two sides to everything".
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/Philosophers/Protagoras/protagoras.html
Reagan's war on drugs was used to attack the non-white population. Keeping them from voting and exercising their first amendment rights. (Considering Reagan's hatred of college students, perhaps it wasn't only directed against non-whites.) The DEA just rejected the appeal to reschedule marijuana from 1 to 2, the excuse being the HHS did have any research showing that marijuana is not dangerous (studies which the Republicans have prevented HHS from conducting). Some commentators have suggested that the DEA was more concerned with maintaining their federal budget than in reducing America's prison population (the highest per capita in the world [except for the seychelles].)
Portugal decriminalized drugs in 2001:
"...indicate that decriminalization has had no adverse effect on drug usage rates. However, drug-related pathologies - such as sexually transmitted diseases and deaths due to drug usage - have decreased dramatically."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal
IMHO, the money spent on the DEA is a waste. The National Drug Control Strategy budget for 2015 was over $25B.
Justin did what had to be done political or otherwise. Case Closed!
It's funny how in the last 40-50 years or more that none of this happened on Kauai or the state of Hawaii and now that the federal gov is involved. State and county LEO's want to take credit. It's like the Mayor who is probably going to tell people that he built all those bus shelters. Well real people know that those bus shelters on state highway was built by state money and not the BS the mayor and Yukimura likes to always say that the county has over 300 miles of road and it would cost over 120 million to fix county roads when most are state highway. But I guess whatever it takes to fool the gullible voters is a win win situation for politicians.
He has two more appeals going through the appellate court per TGI.
Funny that the rule-making Democrat Obama administration is sticking so closely to the Republican view on pot.
1:57:
You might find this article interesting:
Head of DEA slams Obama for saying marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2546262/Head-DEA-slams-Obama-saying-pot-harmless.html
That she was upset because an American Flag made out of hemp was flown over the White House kind of shows the kind of person who is in the DEA. One that can't tell the difference between hemp and marijuana. The new head doesn't have that much room to maneuver since he has to manage the 5000 DEA agents. Kind of like the same problem that Perry has with KPD. You can't just fire everyone (although I think it would be a good idea.) If you've ever been in a large corporation and wondered at how the different segments of the company seem to be working against each other? There are "rules" about how the choices are made.
My guess is the DEA agents told the new head that they needed some medical studies to prove that marijuana was as harmless as Obama said it was. He went to HHS and they told him they didn't have any studies like that. Of course, those studies have never been done because there are certain members of congress who don't want pot legalized so they never funded them. (this would be the same group that prevents the CDC from tracking deaths due to firearms.)
In any case, who needs pot legalization as a campaign issue this year?
So, it isn't "funny" at all. The DEA likes to be a cowboy organization. If you ever watch the TV show Scandal, they are a mini B6-13 organization run by the "money men" (oligarchs)
Ask any attorney on Kauai about Tracy's reputation. She has been the handling appeals under Mike Soong, Craig Decosta, Shaylene Iseri and now Justin. And ask any attorney on Kauai who they would have sent to argue the Hilario case.
Why ask any attorney on Kauai? The only one who matters is Tracy's boss, Justin Kollar, the next prosecutor of Kauai.
Justin Kollar -- 7,714 50.5%
Lisa Arin -- 5,358 35.1%
Well put Joan & Congrats to Justin Kollar!! If this were before the election rules changed, Arin would be pau now.
Unfortunately, @623am obviously has ulterior motives in her post(s) & is oblivious to the concepts of teamwork and leadership brought back to the Prosecutor's Office since the nightmare that was Shaylene Iseri.
The Supreme Court's decision in this case was a success which makes zero sense to second-guess...at least most attorneys on Kauai would agree, except for maybe 1 or 2, and we know who they are. Thankfully, the good people of Kauai recognized that, as yesterday's results clearly reflect...and will do so again come November.
Another big jury trial win for OPA today. Arin's narrative is disintegrating by the moment. How Trumpy. Oh well, too bad, so sad!
10:36pm- If you want to accurate and honest, the Defendant was charged with a Class B felony and several Class C drug related felonies. The verdict was Not Gulity on the Class B felony and two other offenses, and guilty on three Class C felony drug offenses.
Yup, three more convictions than everyone (aka the haters) said the DPA would get on the case. Oops, guess these young prosecutors do know their jobs after all! Keep spinning!!!
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