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COURTESY HAWAII NEWS NOW
Police investigated the scene of a pedestrian accident on May 19 in Ewa Beach.
DENNIS ODA / MAY 23
Malik Morton who is accused of driving into a group of people on Fort Weaver Road in Ewa Beach, made his first appearance in District Court earlier this month. He was charged with first degree attempted murder and other charges with his bail at $1 million. His defense lawyer is Victor Bakke.
An Oahu grand jury this morning indicted a 20-year-old former Leilehua High School football player for allegedly driving a car into a group of 30 to 40 people in Ewa Beach earlier this month, injuring two teenagers.
Malik Morton, who now lives on the mainland, is facing charges of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree terroristic threatening.
He is being held at Oahu Community Correctional Center unable to post bail of $1 million.
He is expected to be arraigned in Circuit Court next week.
One of the girls injured — 18-year-old Alisha Brown —remains in a coma following the May 19 incident.
Brown and Ryan Ilar, 17, were taken to the hospital after witnesses told police that they saw Morton speeding in a zigzag motion as he accelerated toward the crowd in the road. Ilar was treated and released.
Why is the suspect facing only two counts of attempted murder, when he tried to run over 30 to 40 people? Why wasn’t he indicted on 30 to 40 counts of attempted murder? Wouldn’t the case against him be stronger, with 30 to 40 victims testifying against him?
Maybe he was trying to avoid the “aloha” those people had in mind?
The SA overuses the word “allegedly”. Is there even a remote possibility that this guy didn’t drive the car into 30 or 40 people? I think saying allegedly is a bit too extreme on the cautious side…
Well, a trial and a conviction are the deal changers with these things. Fortunately, that’s still the case in this country.
now living in the mainland?, i guess so………..
CORRECTION:Malik Morton, who now lives at Oahu Community Correctional Center .
Whether a claim of self-defense is accepted by a judge or jury depends entirely on what would have happened to Malik Morton had he NOT driven the car the way he allegedly did. If there was indeed a drunken brawl taking place and a reasonable argument can be made by his attorney that he feared for his life and safety had he remained at the scene, then yes, Malik could be acquitted of all charges.
It all depends on what a reasonable person would or might have done under the circumstances. And before people here hurl silly attacks at this comment, in no way am I saying Malik isn’t guilty as charged. What I am saying is that there’s a whole lot we don’t know about what happened that morning.