Washington Redskins All-Pro tackle Trent Williams was a no-show Tuesday at the trial of a Kakaako nightclub bouncer accused of assaulting him and his brother two days before this year’s Pro Bowl football game, resulting in the trial being rescheduled.
John Blane Kenui Stancil, 25, was to be tried Tuesday in Honolulu District Court on two counts of misdemeanor assault committed against Williams and his brother, Fredrick Williams.
Because neither Williams brother was present, Deputy Prosecutor Lawrence Sousie asked Judge Phillip Doi to reschedule the trial to July, when Stancil’s brother, M Nightclub minority owner Michael Miske Jr., is scheduled to stand trial in Circuit Court on a felony assault charge for allegedly hitting Trent Williams on the head with a bottle in the same incident.
Another M Nightclub bouncer, Michael Buntenbah, 40, is scheduled to stand trial in Honolulu District Court next month for misdemeanor assault involving Fredrick Williams.
"So on May 14 the state is going to be requesting a continuance of (the Buntenbah trial) to the same date that (the Stancil case) is set for trial and make the motion to consolidate," Sousie said.
Stancil’s lawyer, Hayley Cheng, opposed the state’s request to postpone the trial until July and asked Doi to dismiss the charges against Stancil.
"There is no assurance at this point that (the state) will secure either complainant’s presence at the trial," Cheng said. "My understanding from speaking to the prosecutor is that he had a brief conversation with one of the complainants (Fredrick Williams), who is thinking about whether he’s going to return and has not had contact with the other."
Doi refused to dismiss the charges and set Stancil’s new trial date for June, the month before the Washington Redskins and the rest of the National Football League teams open training camp for the 2013 season.
Buntenbah’s lawyer, Victor Bakke, said his client will oppose the state’s request to try his case at the same time as Stancil’s.
Trent Williams, 24, suffered a cut on his head requiring multiple stitches from the Jan. 25 incident at the M Nightclub. The injury sidelined the 6-foot-5, 328-pound offensive tackle from the Pro Bowl game.