At least eight criminal cases, including two murder cases, are on hold because the deputy medical examiner has moved to Virginia and has neglected to return phone calls, court officials say.
A state judge issued a material witness order Monday requiring former Deputy City Medical Examiner Gayle Suzuki to testify in an upcoming murder trial.
“I’m hoping reasonable minds will prevail and that a judge in Virginia will be able to mediate this matter and persuade Dr. Suzuki to cooperate with the state of Hawaii,” said Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario.
He called Suzuki’s lack of cooperation unjustified and unreasonable.
Suzuki had agreed to testify in two murder trials scheduled to begin in state court this week, but she informed the prosectors Aug. 12 that she will not be able to comply with their subpoenas.
She performed autopsies on the victims in both cases.
Suzuki left her job with the city in October and now works as the assistant chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
She told the prosecutors she has a subpoena for a murder case in Virginia on the date she was supposed to testify in Hawaii, according to court records.
The judges for both trials rescheduled their trials for October. They had already pushed back the start of their trials to accommodate Suzuki — and scheduled their trials for the same time so Suzuki would have to travel to Hawaii just once for both.
Del Rosario issued the material witness order and said he might issue an arrest warrant if Suzuki does not appear on the new date.
Suzuki has at least eight cases requiring her testimony, said Dave Koga, spokesman for the city prosecutor.
Landon Murata, the prosecutor in one of the murder trials, told Del Rosario he has been unsuccessful in contacting Suzuki.
“She was not returning calls,” he said.
The defense lawyer in the case, Ronette Kawakami, said she got Suzuki’s telephone number from Murata and called Suzuki.
“She was not happy that I called her,” Kawakami told Del Rosario.
She said Suzuki then disconnected her telephone.
Suzuki was in Honolulu earlier this month to testify in another murder trial. The state paid Virginia $12,000 for her to travel here and testify.
