Meth trafficker gets 15 years
A man found guilty of trafficking methamphetamine from California to Hawaii has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Ernesto Hernandez of Kapolei also faces deportation to Mexico after his prison sentence.
The 51-year-old was sentenced Monday.
Prosecutors say he arranged with others to distribute meth that was sent from California via Federal Express.
Prosecutors say Hernandez arranged the shipment of 213 grams of pure meth, which was intercepted by FedEx security at Honolulu Airport.
Dead woman’s car is found
Hawaii County police have found the car belonging to a 48-year-old Hilo woman whose body was found in Hilo on Saturday night.
The body of Jodi Masutomi was found by a fisherman along the shoreline of Hawaii Belt Road in Wainaku. She was identified through fingerprints, police said.
Her tan 1997 four-door Toyota Camry was found in Honomu early Wednesday morning. Police thanked the public for their help.
An autopsy conducted Tuesday showed Masutomi’s injuries were consistent with a fall from a height, police said. The cause of death, however, is being deferred until a toxicology report is done.
Justices hear records lawsuit
KAILUA-KONA >> The Hawaii Supreme Court convened for the first time in West Hawaii, using a high school gym as a courtroom to hear arguments in a case over maintaining county records.
Justices met Tuesday at Kealakehe High School to hear arguments in a lawsuit alleging Hawaii County failed to maintain accurate property records, West Hawaii Today reported.
The case was brought by Geoffrey Molfino, who bought and sold a 49-acre parcel, suing over wanting records about the number of lots permitted on the land. He appealed lower court rulings that said the county isn’t obligated to maintain records.
Molfino’s attorney, Peter Esser, argued the county should take "reasonable care" to maintain records.
Deputy Corporation Counsel Laureen Martin argued that creating a legal duty to preserve records opens the county to liability. She maintained the county has no legal obligation to preserve any records, despite provisions to do so in the state’s Uniform Information Practices Act.
