Katherine Kealoha gets new taxpayer-funded attorney

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Katherine Kealoha has a new taxpayer-funded attorney.

A federal judge has appointed attorney Gary Singh to represent the former deputy prosecutor after her previous defense attorney, Cynthia Kagiwada, asked to be taken off the case, citing an “irretrievable breakdown” in their relationship.

Kealoha said Kagiwada failed to defend her properly — and is seeking a new trial because of the “ineffective” job done by Kagiwada.

Kagiwada was paid by taxpayers because Katherine Kealoha said she did not have enough money to fund her own defense.

Last month, 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.

The conspiracy came amid a family dispute over money Kealoha drained from their bank accounts.

Katherine Kealoha is currently being held at the Federal Detention Center until her sentencing.

She faces two more trials, which include charges relating to financial fraud and drug dealing.