City Council OKs Court Challenge Over Louis Kealoha Legal Fees

The council wants to overturn the Police Commission’s decision to pay for the former police chief’s defense in a public corruption trial.

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The Honolulu City Council unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday that asks the city’s lawyers to appeal a Police Commission decision to partially pay for Louis Kealoha’s legal fees associated with his federal corruption case.

Sponsored by Councilman Ron Menor and Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, the resolution directs the Corporation Counsel — the city’s attorneys and legal advisors — to challenge the commission’s decision in state Circuit Court.

Honolulu City Council member Ron Menor.
Honolulu City Councilman Ron Menor, left, and Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi co-introduced the resolution to appeal the Police Commission’s decision to pay for Kealoha’s legal fees. Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

The Police Commission voted 4-1 on March 20 to approve payment of an undisclosed portion of Kealoha’s attorney fees.

They decided that Kealoha was acting within his role as police chief when he allegedly attempted to frame his wife’s uncle for mailbox theft, making him eligible for the city’s funding.

Menor and Kobayashi sent a letter in April protesting the commission’s decision.

““The fact that Chief Kealoha was Chief of Police at the time of the alleged illegal acts does not convert Chief Kealoha’s acts to ones done in the performance of his duty as a police officer,” the letter said.

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