ATG NEWS RELEASE: Mayor William P. Kenoi not guilty
Posted on Nov 1, 2016 in Latest Department News
HONOLULU – Attorney General Doug Chin announced today that a Hawaii Island jury has acquitted Hawaii County Mayor William P. Kenoi of all charges filed against him. Mayor Kenoi’s trial ended on Monday, October 31.
The jury deliberated for one day before rendering its verdict.
Attorney General Chin said “The crime of theft requires proof a person intended to permanently deprive his victim of what he stole. The prosecution argued that not paying back funds to the county of Hawaii until after the press caught him was proof of Mayor Kenoi’s intent. We respect the verdict and thank the jurors for their service.”
On March 23, 2016, a Hawaii Island grand jury indicted Mayor Kenoi for two counts of felony theft, two additional counts of misdemeanor theft, three counts of tampering with a government record and one count of false swearing. The charges arose from alleged conduct taking place from 2011 through 2015 while Mayor Kenoi was in office. During trial, after the prosecution rested its case, the court dismissed three of the misdemeanor counts for tampering with a government record based on insufficient evidence.
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For more information, contact:
Joshua A. Wisch
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
(808) 586-1284