A state judge dismissed a felony assault charge Monday against a former nightclub owner accused of hitting Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams in the head with a bottle in January after the prosecutor told the judge Williams won’t be here next month for the trial.
The state had charged Michael Miske Jr., 39, with felony assault with a dangerous instrument after a brawl Jan. 25 at M Nightclub in Kakaako.
Williams, 24, sustained a cut on his head requiring stitches. The injury kept the 6-foot-5, 328-pound offensive lineman on the sidelines for the 2013 Pro Bowl game at Aloha Stadium two days later.
Prosecutor Kaina Awong said he has spoken to Williams’ brother Fredrick, who the state says was also assaulted in that incident. He said Frederick was interested in returning to Hawaii for trial but that the pro athlete never returned his calls. Then a few weeks ago he said he received a call from an NFL security official.
"He said neither Williams, Trent nor Fred, is returning to Hawaii for trial," he said.
Awong asked Circuit Judge Michael Wilson to postpone the trial.
Wilson denied the request and dismissed the assault charge with prejudice, meaning the state may not refile the charge.
Miske’s lawyer, Thomas Otake, said the charge was based on false allegations and that media coverage of the case hurt Miske’s reputation.
"We hope that the dismissal in some small way helps to repair some of the damage done to Mr. Miske’s reputation," Otake said.
Miske’s brother, John Blane Kenui Stancil, 25, is awaiting trial in Honolulu District Court for misdemeanor assault of Trent Williams in the same Jan. 25 incident. Williams was a no-show for the trial in April, prompting the judge in Stancil’s case to reschedule the trial to July.
Also scheduled to stand trial in Honolulu District Court for misdemeanor assault next month is Michael Buntenbah, 40, for allegedly assaulting Fredrick Williams.
Awong said if neither Williams brother is willing to return to Hawaii for a felony trial, it is unlikely they would return for the misdemeanor trials.
At the time of the incident, Miske was a minority owner of M Nightclub. A nightclub spokeswoman later said that Miske sold his shares in the business after the January incident.
Stancil was the nightclub’s doorman; Buntenbah was a bouncer.
