Local Connection: Roynes Dural Exoneration

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) -Sex Assault Charges against Roynes Dural were finally thrown out of court by a state judge last week.

The decorated sailor had spent 16 years in prison and on parole after a conviction that should never have happened.

Unfortunately, the Honolulu prosecutors office was still trying to convince the victimized young woman who apparently falsely accused Dural to testify against him again.

As the Hawaii Innocence project and reporter Lynn Kawano revealed – this was a case with severe problems that were known back in 2003 – but still went forward to its unjust conclusion.

In their zeal to prosecute Dural police and prosecutors ignored substantial evidence that other men were the perpetrators – and they were allowed to remain unpunished.

This is the pattern of the prosecutors office that led to the Kealoha scandal and seems to continue to this day.

Its leaders are unwilling to acknowledge their mistakes which is critical to the kind of internal reform that's needed to restore public trust.

Unfortunately, we are apparently stuck with the current management for another year – because the impeachment process is stalled in court.

Once again – change will have to come from the outside – from the voters – or federal prosecutors, and not soon enough.