State’s highest court says city taxpayers shouldn’t have paid for Louis Kealoha’s legal defense

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Honolulu Police Commission was wrong when it decided taxpayers should foot the bill for disgraced ex-HPD Chief Louis Kealoha’s legal defense in one of Hawaii’s biggest corruption trials.

That’s according to the state Supreme Court in a recent ruling.

The commission’s decision to approve a publicly-funded defense for Kealoha was controversial from the start.

In 2019, the commission ruled Kealoha was entitled to taxpayer-funded legal defense because some of his criminal actions were done in performance of his duties as a police officer. The city, however, disagreed with the thinking and appealed the decision. And the matter went all the way to the state’s highest court.

In their ruling, the justices said Kealoha’s crimes weren’t performed as part of his duties.

“Kealoha’s duties did not include overseeing a criminal conspiracy to hide his and his wife’s misappropriation of funds belonging to others,” the justices wrote, in the decision.

“His duties did not include conspiring to frame his wife’s uncle for a crime he did not commit.”

Kealoha and his wife, Katherine, were convicted in the far-reaching public corruption scandal along with two ex-Honolulu police officers. They are all now serving time in federal prison.

Given the ruling, the city is expected to pursue another lawsuit to recoup the legal defense funds.

Experts say the decision could also impact other criminal cases involving current or former police officers.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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