Judge clears courtroom on opening day of Abigail Kawananakoa hearing

A three-day hearing to determine whether a conservator will be named to handle the financial affairs of Abigail Kawananakoa opened in First Circuit Court this morning.

Following a brief opening session, however, Judge James Ashford cleared members of the public from the courtroom, citing an earlier ruling to protect the medical and financial affairs of the 93-year-old Campbell Estate heiress.

The hearing represents the latest development in a battle over Kawananakoa’s $215 million estate, in dispute since the woman suffered a stroke in 2017. The conflict pits her former attorney, James Wright, and her spouse, Veronica Gail Worth Kawananakoa, against each other, with half of the fortune previously earmarked for Native Hawaiian causes potentially in doubt.

Kawananakoa is expected to testify this afternoon for the first time in the dispute, following the testimony of Dr. David Trader, a Los Angeles psychiatrist who has has now evaluated Kawananakoa for a second time.

Following her stroke, Trader concluded that Kawananakoa lacked financial capacity and wasn’t able to make complex decisions, although he did say she had testamentary capacity — or about the same level of mental acuity needed to make out a will.

It’s uncertain how much of the hearing will be open to the public, since Kawananakoa’s health and ability to understand and control her wealth are the primary issues in question.

In his February ruling Ashford said not only would the part of the hearing concerning Kawananakoa’s medical and financial information be closed but the transcript of those portions of the proceeding would be sealed.

In October Probate Court Judge R. Mark Browning ordered the hearing to determine if a conservator is needed to oversee Kawananakoa’s financial affairs outside the trust. He also ordered the updated medical evaluation by Trader.