A Circuit Court judge ordered that Beverly Shimabukuro, the 85-year-old Liliha woman charged with first-degree arson, be transferred to the Hawaii State Hospital from the Oahu Community Correctional Center, where she has spent the past 12 days.

Shimabukuro, a former longtime waitress at the Pagoda Floating Restaurant, appeared Monday morning before Judge Ronald Johnson wearing a blue paper jumpsuit at her arraignment, and was expected to enter a plea Monday morning.

Instead, defense attorney Christian Enright, retained by her family, asked for a panel of three mental health professionals to examine her and to have her remain at the State Hospital.

The deputy prosecutor had no objection and deferred to the court.

Johnson said the pretrial bail report gives defense cause to move for competency evaluation and that Shimabukuro has mental health and and health concerns.

He committed her to the custody of the Department of Health for her care and custody and evaluation of competency.

Enright said after the hearing that he expected his client would be transferred to the hospital as soon as her belongings could be gathered up at OCCC.

The 85-year-old was indicted on the Class A felony for allegedly setting fire Feb. 28 in the closet of her rented home, the day before her eviction.

The landlord said Shimabu­kuro had been paying her rent each month, but the landlord, who had recently received the property from her deceased husband’s estate, had plans to sell the 1662 Olona Lane house, where she had resided for 50 years.

During the arraignment, Shimabukuro appeared to breathe heavily and had her eyes closed at times. She walked slowly, taking small steps with the aid of a deputy sheriff out of the courtroom.

Shimabukuro’s sister, brother and niece came from three different states to support her and were present at the arraignment.

Her family said this was a “good outcome.”

“She’s such a good person,” said her sister, Charlotte Newport, from Washington state. “Her whole life, she was always helping others.”

Newport said that her sister had lived in the Liliha house with her husband, who died at age 43, and her son, who died at the same age. Both of those deaths affected Shimabukuro, her sister said.

After living in the house for 50 years, the eviction was a sudden thing for Shimabukuro to cope with, her sister said.

Her sister had made arrangements to have Shimabukuro live with her.

Enright had filed a motion for supervised release or reduction of the $50,000 bail, and had stated in the written motion that Shimabukuro agreed Thursday to live at a senior living center in Washington with her sister.

He withdrew the motion and instead asked for the examination by a panel.