After guilty verdict, state moves to prevent Katherine Kealoha from practicing law

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Katherine Kealoha is behind bars after being found guilty in one of the state’s biggest public corruption cases.

But technically, she could still practice law.

That’s because Kealoha, a former deputy city prosecutor, still has her license to practice in Hawaii.

So on Monday, the state Office of Disciplinary Counsel petitioned the state Supreme Court to restrain Kealoha from practicing law until all of her appeals are exhausted ― a process that could take years ― and she can be disbarred.

The office, an oversight board under the state Judiciary, said Kealoha’s law license has been on voluntary inactive status “for some time.”

Last week, Kealoha, her husband Louis ― the former police chief ― and two Honolulu officers were found guilty of conspiring to frame one of her relatives with a crime in a bid to discredit him amid a family dispute over money she drained from their bank accounts.

This story will be updated.