Kenoi found not guilty

HILO >> In a stunning and unanimous verdict Tuesday, a Hawaii island jury took 24 hours to find Mayor Billy Kenoi not guilty of all charges related to personal and alcohol purchases that Kenoi billed to the county — and later repaid — from 2011 to 2015.

A clearly emotional Kenoi hugged his wife, Takako, following the verdict and was crushed by supporters as he walked briskly out of Third Circuit Court without speaking to reporters.

Kenoi’s attorney Todd Eddins — a colleague from their days together in the Honolulu public defender’s office — told reporters outside court, “From the get-go we described the false accusations as flimsy. The trial established that that characterization was an understatement. This was an odious attempt to take down a once-in-a-generation good, decent man.”

Attorney General Doug Chin said in a statement, “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.”

The evidence phase of the trial lasted six days and spanned parts of two weeks.

Twenty witnesses testified, including former state Rep. Tommy Waters, Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho and celebrity chef Sam Choy.