A 70-year-old Hilo man accused of the hit-and-run death of a 79-year-old Hilo woman will remain in the custody of Hawaii Community Correctional Center — at least for now.
Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota on Friday said he wanted an updated bail study for Carlton Inada, who is charged with second-degree negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident for the Oct. 3 collision that killed longtime aikido instructor Barbara Klein while she was riding a recumbent tricycle on Akolea Road in Hilo.
Deputy Public Defender Kenji Akamu filed a written motion on Dec. 4 requesting supervised release — a form of cashless bail — for Inada, who has, thus far, been unable to post $100,000 bail.
A bail study filed Oct. 9 in Hilo District Court recommended supervised release for Inada, who is a lifelong Big Island resident with no prior criminal record. That document isn’t public.
Akamu’s motion said that if supervised release is granted, Inada would abide by special terms, including a stay-away order from Klein’s family and associates, check-ins with Hawaii Intake Service Center — a Department of Public Safety entity tasked with the supervision of pretrial defendants in the community — a mental health assessment, electronic monitoring and an order to not drive while the case is active.
Inada’s 2016 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was taken into evidence by police after the collision.
“I’m going to ask the Intake Service Center to prepare an updated bail study with these proposed conditions, and if it’s something they can do, I’ll consider it,” Kubota said. “And I understand the circumstances of the case are — as has been explained to me on what happened on that date — not necessarily what was reported in the newspaper.”
According to court documents filed by police, Inada originally said he didn’t see Klein, but after being read his rights, he allegedly told officers he struck Klein intentionally with his truck to teach her a lesson for “just going slow all the time.”
Kubota said if supervised release is granted, he thinks house arrest would be important “except for certain ventures out of the home, but no driving.” He said those ventures would include, in addition to the HISC check-ins, “essentials” such as medical appointments and grocery shopping.
The judge set a hearing for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 27 to consider the motion with an updated assessment by HISC.
Deputy Prosecutor Lucas Burns said the state objects to the motion, and Kubota said arguments would be heard at that hearing.
Akamu also requested for a mental evaluation of Inada by a panel of three mental health professionals to determine his fitness to stand trial and whether Inada had the mental capacity to understand the illegality and wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the incident.
Kubota set a hearing for receiving the doctors’ reports at 10:30 a.m. March 1.
Klein’s husband, Robert, a chiropractor, and two of her daughters, Noa and Rachel, were present during Friday’s hearing.
Robert Klein said the family is “holding up, carrying on.”
Asked what they thought about the possibility of Inada being released from custody, Rachel Klein, also a chiropractor, replied, “I think he’s a danger to the community, and therefore, it’s not a good idea. It’s as simple as that.”
Robert Klein added that if Inada is released, “I think the house arrest is a good idea.”
“The inability to drive is a good idea. And the monitoring bracelet is a good idea. All of those things,” he said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
