All defendants decline to testify as Kealoha mailbox trial nears end
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Former city deputy prosecutor, Katherine Kealoha, left, and her husband, retired Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, entered the Federal Courthouse on Tuesday. Katherine Kealoha’s defense rested today without her taking the stand.
The final three defendants in the public corruption and conspiracy trial rested their cases today, with none of them, including former Honolulu deputy prosecutor Katherine Kealoha, taking the stand in their defense.
Defendants have a right not to testify, and the jury is told not to use that against them.
Kealoha, her husband, retired police Chief Louis Kealoha, and three current and former officers are on trial for allegedly conspiring to frame Katherine Kealoha’s uncle for the 2013 alleged theft of their mailbox and for lying about their actions to federal investigators.
The other defendants are Lt. Derek Wayne Hahn, officer Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen and retired Maj. Gordon Shiraishi.
Today Katherine Kealoha, Hahn and Shiraishi rested their cases. None of them took the stand.
Louis Kealoha and Nguyen presented their cases earlier in the week, also without testifying.
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Prosecutors expect to call several rebuttal witnesses Thursday morning, and closing arguments are scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
The trial is going much faster than anticipated. The trial originally was expected to run into July and possibly part of August.
