Former judge barred from practicing law
A former state judge has been suspended from practicing law for a year and a day for violating rules governing lawyers’ conduct.
The Hawaii Supreme Court on Monday suspended Marjorie H. Manuia and ordered her to complete a course on managing a law practice before she can be reinstated.
The high court ruled that Manuia violated the Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct in four cases.
The violations were taking no action in her client’s divorce case from November 2007 to August 2008 and transferring $1,178 in client funds to her business account; misappropriating at least $3,361 of a client’s money; failing to provide a client with an accounting of his funds for 65 days; and failing to respond to a client’s request for a final billing.
The court said aggravating factors include a "pattern of misconduct" and a 2007 informal admonition in a disciplinary case.
Mitigating factors, the court said, were "an absence of a selfish or dishonest motive," a "favorable reputation" that includes her "admirable wilingness" to represent underserved parts of the community, and "a recognition of the wrongful nature of her conduct."
The suspension takes effect 30 days after the high court’s ruling.
Manuia was appointed a part-time district judge in 1982 and served two terms as a Family Court district judge from 1984 to 1996.
Bill would require fingerprinting at airport
Honolulu Airport would be among those required to fingerprint foreigners leaving the United States under an amendment to the immigration reform bill, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono’s office confirmed Tuesday.
Hirono, D-Hawaii, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, voted Monday in favor of the amendment authored by Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah that would require foreigners leaving the country through any of the nation’s 30 busiest airports to submit to fingerprinting, part of an attempt to strengthen security.
Nathan Click, a Hirono spokesman, said it will be up to the Federal Aviation Administration to determine which airports will be affected when the plan takes effect. However, Click said "Honolulu would likely be part of the group that establishes it in six years."
The Hatch amendment passed 13-5 Monday as the Senate Judiciary Committee went into its third week of deliberations on a major immigration reform bill.
Motorcyclist dies of injuries from accident
A 70-year-old Pukalani motorcyclist died Tuesday from injuries sustained when he lost control of his vehicle last month in Paia.
Maui police said Allen Vierra was driving a black 2001 Harley-Davidson motorcycle at 10:42 a.m. April 27 when he lost control and the motorcycle went down on Baldwin Avenue near Puakou Place. He was not wearing a helmet.
Vierra was taken in critical condition to Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he was hospitalized until he died at 2:35 a.m. Tuesday.
It was the eighth traffic fatality in Maui County this year, compared with 13 at this time last year.
Shooting victim is ID’d and man is in custody
Hawaii County police identified the man who was fatally shot Monday at a home in Nanawale Estates subdivision in Puna as Mateo D. Balinbin Jr., 40, of Nanawale Estates.
An autopsy has been scheduled for today.
Police were called 2:19 p.m. Monday to a report of a shooting victim in a Maui Street home. Officers found Balinbin inside his home.
Police, acting on a tip that a man was seen leaving the house in a dark pickup truck, arrested at 4:41 p.m. a 43-year-old Nanawale Estates man at a Hawaiian Paradise Park home on suspicion of second-degree murder.
No weapon was recovered. Police said Balinbin and the suspect are acquaintances.
Police ask that anyone with information on this case contact Detective Derek Morimoto at 961-2380 or dmorimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us, or Detective Robert Almeida at 961-2386 or ralmeida@co.hawaii.hi.us.
