CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
If the fourth-floor Aha Kanawai courtroom inside the U.S. District Court fills up for closing arguments as expected for the Kealohas and three co-defendants today, a second courtroom will be used with an audio and video feed from the main room.
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An overflow crowd is expected today when government and defense attorneys give closing arguments in the corruption and conspiracy trial of Katherine and Louis Kealoha and three co-
defendants.
U.S. District Court in Honolulu is setting up a second courtroom with an audio and video feed from the main one to accommodate extra spectators who are expected to attend the trial.
Once the fourth-floor courtroom where the trial is being held fills up, the overflow one will be opened.
The proceedings start at 9 a.m. when Chief Judge J. Michael Seabright is scheduled to give instructions to the jury. Following that, the prosecution will give its closing arguments.
Afterward, attorneys for the five defendants — the Kealohas, Lt. Derek Wayne Hahn, officer Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen and retired Maj. Gordon Shiraishi — will have a maximum of one hour and 15 minutes each to give their closing arguments.
The government gets the last say for rebuttal. The court has set a time limit of three hours for the government’s closing and rebuttal combined.
If the attorneys use most of their allotted time, the proceedings likely will continue Wednesday morning before the jury begins deliberations.
The courthouse and the trial courtroom open to the public at 8 a.m. today.
Louis Kealoha was police chief and Katherine Kealoha a top deputy prosecutor when they allegedly conspired with the other defendants to frame Katherine Kealoha’s uncle for stealing the couple’s Kahala mailbox in 2013 and then lied to federal investigators about their actions.
Seventy-one witnesses, including three who took the stand for the prosecution and defense, testified over 16 days.