John Kalani Lincoln, who once described himself to the FBI as "an enforcer" for organized crime figures in Hawaii, will be back in court in January on five traffic court offenses.

Lincoln, 65, pleaded not guilty yesterday morning before District Judge Leslie Hayashi and asked for a public defender. His court date was set for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 19 in District Court.

Lincoln was arrested Halloween night for missing two earlier court dates on the misdemeanor traffic violations.

He did not appear on Aug. 7 and Sept. 27 to answer to charges of driving without a valid safety check, driving without valid insurance and improperly restraining a minor in a car, and bench warrants were issued. Lincoln was arrested at 1719 Nuuanu Ave.

Lincoln was cited July 11 for driving without no-fault insurance and not having a valid safety sticker. He was cited again Sept. 11 for allowing a child to be a passenger in his car without being in a child safety seat.

He was released last year from federal prison after serving more than 11 years on drug and gun charges.

Lincoln’s criminal record includes four felony convictions: having sex with an underage girl in 1966, escape from prison in 1967, attempted second-degree murder for shooting a bar doorman in 1967 and escape from prison in 1981. He was acquitted of killing a fellow inmate in 1974.

Lincoln served 13 years in state prison for a 1978 double murder-for-hire on Maui before he was acquitted in 1992 after his third trial. He had been found guilty twice before for the gangland-style killing of two men and severely wounding a woman.

Lincoln was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison in 1994 after pleading guilty to charges of possessing and distributing crystal methamphetamine and having loaded firearms on three occasions in 1992 and 1993.

After his release, he was arrested in December 2004 and given a five-year federal sentence for violating the conditions of his supervisory release after testing positive for morphine, methamphetamine and codeine and associating with known felons. He was released in April 2009.

Lincoln is an accomplished musician and has composed songs including "Oh Aku" and "My Hawaiian Queen," a tribute to Queen Liliuokalani.