I was horrified on the Fourth of July over three stories. First, buried on page 7A, “Man arrested for raping disabled woman.” Can you believe this? He was the driver of the Arc of Hilo bus. The woman was physically
I was horrified on the Fourth of July over three stories. First, buried on page 7A, “Man arrested for raping disabled woman.” Can you believe this? He was the driver of the Arc of Hilo bus. The woman was physically unable to resist and communicate and the bus driver, a 64-year-old man, Louis Sardis, was caught by two witnesses raping her on the bus. I could not believe this was buried in the back of the paper!
What was most disturbing was Hilo Public Defender Austin Hsu asking Judge Michael Udovic that they recommend supervised release for this “alleged” rapist, which would allow him to be freed after posting bail!
They go on to say, “this is his first charges ever.” Ever! Raping a disabled woman! This isn’t a parking ticket! Everyone knows someone this sick to “allegedly” rape the most severely disabled is a monster, and yet our judicial system makes it seem like a DUI. What, too many inmates in Kulani? I say leave this guy there until his hearing. Then, prosecutor Glenn Shiigi recommended supervised release, and requested a $64,000 bail for “the protection of the public.”
Are you kidding me? Anyone out there think this reported rapist deserves to be out on bail? Oh, by the way, his bail was reduced to $49,000 until his hearing. Innocent until proven guilty, but if there are witnesses, please, for the safety of us all, there should be no negotiations or bail reductions, period.
Here are the other two stories on the front page that bothered me: Two brothers suspected of murder for a 2015 crime both on a $500,000 bail (DNA doesn’t lie, so they are picked up for the crime). Murders don’t happen here too often, so $250,000 each for murder on bail? They shouldn’t be out on bail in this town until after their trial.
I live in Holualoa, where they are from. Do I want to see them in my neighborhood?
Then again, on the front page, the sad story of the Kemas (I’m not sure who is worse here, the father or the mother, Jaylin, charged with manslaughter, who turned her back on her son, and got off with only a year already served, and 10 years probation for knowing her husband had been repeatedly beating her child and killed him.).
Wow, judicial system, you guys dropped the ball here big time. Then to give Peter Boy’s father leniency on his sentence, if he showed them where he dumped the poor boy’s body, is down right pathetic. Why are we giving deals, and so lenient sentencing, to someone who has pleaded guilty? Drug dealers get worse sentences in this state! Peter Boy’s family has no closure. This man will only serve a possible six to eight years with the possibility of parole, or a possible maximum of 25 years for killing his son. He took a life, he should have life in prison for killing his son. His mother should have 25 years for lying all these years.
We have no justice when it comes to the worst crimes in our state. Stop negotiating with murders, rapists and others, then putting them back on the streets, take their bail money and call it “for the protection of the public.”
Jeannie Scambos is a resident of Holualoa
