Isle lawmaker charged with DUI
The evening TV news carried footage of a contrite Karamatsu apologizing to his colleagues, constituents and families... but also leaving a bit of wiggle room for his case, in which he pled not guilty. At the courthouse, he mentioned "circumstances that will be brought up later" that contributed to his accident other than alcohol. And KHON spoke with him at the industrial yard where his smashed car was stored, and he said his car had been acting up.
Karamatsu did support a bill that enacted tougher penalties for unusually high levels of intoxication, such as the level reported by HPD today, a fact he conceded was "ironic." On the other hand, as I noted in my blog, he also introduced a bill "by request" last year that would have given a tax break to spirit cooler makers.
I wonder if he'll blog about all this?
I'm searching my dusty memory for past elected leaders with DUI arrests, and how things turned out for them. KHON pointed out former Pearl City Rep. Noboru Yonamine, who pled guilty to DUI, said he'd resign, but changed his mind. He later lost his bid for re-election. Dain Kane, former Maui councilmember, lost his bid for mayor last year but seems to still be active politically. But Wayne Nishiki, a councilman on Maui, got re-elected in 2002 despite two DUI busts in two years.
I get the feeling that being remorseful and humble is pretty much the only way to survive something like this politically. Say you're sorry, actually be sorry, promise to shape up and do so. I guess Karamatsu apologized, but with his not-guilty plea and vague statements today, I'm wondering if he's going to burn some goodwill to pull some legal shenanigans.
Vice speaker of the state House Jon Karamatsu was charged with driving under the influence of an intoxicant after crashing a car into a concrete pillar on the freeway early today. Karamatsu crashed his car at 1:15 a.m. in the Waianae-bound lanes of the freeway near the Ahua Street overpass, according to court and police records. He was the only one in the car.
Karamatsu did support a bill that enacted tougher penalties for unusually high levels of intoxication, such as the level reported by HPD today, a fact he conceded was "ironic." On the other hand, as I noted in my blog, he also introduced a bill "by request" last year that would have given a tax break to spirit cooler makers.
I wonder if he'll blog about all this?
I'm searching my dusty memory for past elected leaders with DUI arrests, and how things turned out for them. KHON pointed out former Pearl City Rep. Noboru Yonamine, who pled guilty to DUI, said he'd resign, but changed his mind. He later lost his bid for re-election. Dain Kane, former Maui councilmember, lost his bid for mayor last year but seems to still be active politically. But Wayne Nishiki, a councilman on Maui, got re-elected in 2002 despite two DUI busts in two years.
I get the feeling that being remorseful and humble is pretty much the only way to survive something like this politically. Say you're sorry, actually be sorry, promise to shape up and do so. I guess Karamatsu apologized, but with his not-guilty plea and vague statements today, I'm wondering if he's going to burn some goodwill to pull some legal shenanigans.
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