The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-03-05
KEPOIKAI'S CASE
BEFORE THE BAR
ATTORNEYS GATHER no DISCUSS
QUESTION on ENDORSING THE
MAUI JUDGE

The Hawaiian bar Association yos-
ierdal afternoon listened to "a series of
damaging charges against judge Kc-
poihai of The Second Circuit Court. of
Maui who aspiros TO be- reappointcd.
read Boy Dan G. Case. County Attorney.
of laiIuku, and supported I'm part by
aflidayIts Of various Maui citizens.
Among the faults chalkcd mp against
the Hawaiian jurIsg were the claim
that he has "a violent temper. and a
vocabulary of yulgarlty and profanity
very mscemIy I'm one of his position.
That he is a political meddler;
That he has shown questionable dis
cretion in the choice OF jury commits
sloners. appointing relatives of his.
ana persons of questionable rectitude
for an important office.
That he is little better than a tool
of certain corporate interests i'm Mani
which makes justice a joke whenever
they are involved before him.
Judge kepoikai was present during
the reading of these charges against
him, and number of times he broke
in to protest or explain. but by advise
OF friends subsidized into silence No
action was taken by the Association.
but a meeting was called for next
Thursday when the Judge viii be civ
en- opportunity to submit an answer to
the accusations against him.
AT the opening Of the meeting II. E.
Cooper made a statement correcting
one he had previously made to the eff
feet that County Attorney ID. II. Case
is candidate for Judge KepoiIlai's
position. Instead, he was informed
by Case himself, that he was not a
candidate for the Office.
When this explanation had been
made the reading of the charges
against Kepoikai was begun. the ac-
cused judge having in the meantime !
been sent for and arrived
Several instances were cited i'm
which Judge Kepoikai was said to have
used profane language in most unseen |
ly places-Once az Sunday school |
luau. An affidavit of LUX Chan, a Chi |
nese police officer who had been struck |
twice with a horse whip in the hands .
of the judge, while enraged, was also
read. Other charges of Kepoikais .
having threatened violence to other
persons were also cited.
William Henning of Lahaina, chair
man of the Maui Board of Supervisors. .
made affidavit that the Judge had act .
ed under proxy on the Republican Cen
trail Committee in a most active and |
also supported this charge.
No affidavits were submitted in the
matter of the selection of the jury COM
but it was charged that
ne had appointed George Weight, his
lrother-in-law, as one, and Ben Ly-
)nB, his cousin, and proprietor of the
worst groggery on the whole island as
another. The accused didn't deny
his, but protested that no complaint
was made to the appointments
In support Of the charge that Judge
<epoiiai has accepted undue favors
rom certain corporations, an afida-
'it of w. r. Robinson, tax assessor,
vas read, in which it was alleged that
held under lease from the
iahului Railroad Company, and for
nerly under lease from the Hawaiian
& Sugar Company were
,asiy worth from $1,000 to $4,000 per
ear. d. H. Case, under oath, quoted
N. S. Williams, to the effect that
hese leases were held for 1925 per
month, and until recently had been
leld for less c. d. Lufllin, cashier of
he First National Bank of Waikiki,
vas also named as a witness to this
act. The lease in question is known
IS the Fisheries of Kahului.
The Association discussed the char
res at considerable length w. o.
smith offered in evidence a letter from
|. p. Baldwin, on the matter of the
iahului fisheries, to the effect that $25
'er month rental is a big price, and
lOre than the company could hope to
make by handling them itself.
Mr.. Smith also thought the political
ctiyity charge pretty thin in light of !,
he fact that the Judge of the Federal
curt last year sat as chairman of the
Territorial convention, and )
Their Territorial judges took active
art in party organizations.
There was other talk pro and con on
he matter, during which Charlie Achi
moved that Mr.. Case be asked to fur
ish a list of the jurors furnished by
he jury commission, complained Of :
nd one such as he would have liked to
ae drawn, He think a good list of 100
ames could be furnished on all Maui.
There was evidence of a good deal
sentiment in favor of Kepoikai, and
ext weeks meeting promises to be in
arpStinp