Katherine Kealoha Will Have To Wait On Motion For A New Trial
A federal judge says he’ll wait to make a decision on whether the recent conviction of a former deputy prosecutor should be set aside.
A federal judge has put off the decision on whether Katherine Kealoha will get a new trial on conspiracy charges until after sentencing in that case.
Kealoha’s sentencing is scheduled for October.
The former deputy city prosecutor was convicted in June of conspiracy and obstruction charges along with her husband, former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, and two of his officers, Derek Hahn and Bobby Nguyen.
Her current defense attorney, Earle Partington, filed a motion for a new trial in July saying that she received ineffective assistance from her court-appointed lawyer, Cynthia Kagiwada.
Partington joined Katherine Kealoha’s defense team late in the trial, with just over a week left in the months-long process.
At a hearing Wednesday in federal court, Partington argued that the issue of a new trial should be decided now because future trials — she faces two more — could be negatively impacted.
Partington argued that it should be before judgment because if the matter is not heard now, it could negatively impact her future trials.
But U.S. District Court Judge J. Michael Seabright decided to put off ruling on the motion until after the conspiracy case is finalized.
