Jury selection begins in alleged pay-to-prosecute conspiracy

Peter Boylan, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
·2 min read
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Mar. 13—More than 70 potential jurors filled every seat in the federal courtroom Tuesday where former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro, businessman Dennis Mitsunaga and others face charges that they conspired to bribe Kaneshiro with campaign contributions to prosecute a former Mitsunaga employee.

More than 70 potential jurors filled every seat in the federal courtroom Tuesday where former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro, businessman Dennis Mitsunaga and others face charges that they conspired to bribe Kaneshiro with campaign contributions to prosecute a former Mitsunaga employee.

Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, who stepped in from Alaska after Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright recused himself, greeted the jurors in Seabright's courtroom with brief background about the allegations made in the case.

Burgess said the court is seeking impartial, fair-minded jurors capable of weighing the evidence presented by federal prosecutors and defense attorneys.

"That's what we're looking for in jurors, " said Burgess, addressing the packed gallery.

Outside of U.S. District Court, a long line of potential jurors stretched down the steps leading up to the courthouse's security checkpoint.

The potential jurors were sent to a separate courtroom to fill out questionnaires.

Tuesday's group will be whittled down based on their written responses, and selected potential jurors will return at 11 a.m. today to be questioned by Burgess and attorneys during the "voir dire " portion of jury selection.

French for "to speak the truth, " voir dire usually starts with the judge asking potential jurors questions to flush out any biases. The judge's questions are followed by federal prosecutors and then defense attorneys.

Kaneshiro, Mitsunaga and four Mitsu ­naga & Associates executives were indicted in June 2022 for allegedly conspiring to charge a former Mitsunaga employee with felony theft for exposing the company to liability and keeping some money from jobs done on company time with company resources.

They face federal charges of conspiracy, honest serv ­ices wire fraud and federal program bribery.

Mitsunaga, 78 ; Kaneshiro, 72 ; Terri Ann Otani, 66 ; Aaron Shunichi Fujii, 64 ; Chad Michael McDonald, 50 ; and Sheri Jean Tanaka, 41, all have pleaded not guilty.