Hawaiian Drunk Driver Acquitted

Two days before the Christmas holiday, a jury acquitted Ikaika Pua Ahina, 34, of habitual drunk driving.  The felony case, as reported by Maui News, started when Ahina was stopped for drunk driving on Main Street in Wailuku on December 3, 2009.

But the 2^nd Circuit Court did convict Ahina of driving with a suspended license and marijuana possession.  The petty misdemeanor convictions carry fines no greater than $1000 and no more than 30 days of jail time.

If Ahina had been found guilty of habitually driving drunk - a felony that can be charged in Hawaii if he had been convicted three times for drunk driving within 10 years - he would be facing up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Of the verdict made on December 15 defense attorney William Sloper said, "We are pleased that the jury was not prejudiced by the defendant's three prior convictions of drunk driving and decided this case on its own evidence."

Sloper recalled his closing arguments, where he laid blame on Melanie Ramsey, an officer that only had three months on the job before arresting Ahina.  He said that Ramsey only wanted to "prove herself."

During Sloper's cross-examination of Ramsey she admitted to making mistakes on her reports about Ahina's arrest.

Ramsey stated that she stopped Ahina at the Uptown Chevron gas station and found that "it was obvious that he was intoxicated. He was very obnoxious, rude. You could smell the stale liquor smell."

Prior to pulling Ahina over, Ramsey allegedly witnessed him driving his car in the opposite direction, without taillights illuminated, at approximately 1:40 a.m. near Main Street's Subway restaurant.

To make the traffic stop Ramsey had to complete a U-turn, outmatch Ahina's speed and flash her blue lights. 

Ahina was driving without a license and only showed Ramsey his Hawaiian identification card.  His female passenger was able to produce both the car's registration and proof of insurance.

Ramsey said that when Ahina agreed to take the field sobriety tests she noted, "The defendant's speech was very slurred. He had a very delayed reaction to my questions.  I couldn't exactly understand his responses at times.  He was unstable on his feet and stumbled into the car.  He swayed into the motor vehicle door to a point where it was like he didn't have his footing."

During his opening statements, Deputy Prosecutor Brandon Paredes said that Ramsey observed many "clues" as to the level of Ahina's intoxication; one such clue was the pipe with marijuana residue that was sitting in his pocket. 

Ahina's driver's license had been revoked due to three drunken driving convictions.  Court records show that one conviction was in December of 2000 and two more, in February and May, were in 2002.

On February 18 Ahina is scheduled for sentencing for driving without a license - while his license was suspended or revoked - and for third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug.

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