Pubdate: Wed, 22 Sep 1999
Source: West Hawaii Today (HI)
Copyright: 1999 West Hawaii Today
Contact:  P.O. Box 789, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96745-0789
Fax: 808-329-4860
Website: http://westhawaiitoday.com/
Author:  Keith Kosaki

ADVOCATE ATTEMPTS TO THWART POT FUND VOTE

Hilo - Pahoa hemp entrepreneur Roger christie filed a temporary injunction
Tuesday in Third Circuit Court to prevent the six council members named in
his impeachment petition from voting to accept more money for the marijuana
eradication program.

No hearing has been scheduled.

The County Council is scheduled to give final approval today for an
additional $55,000 federal grant from the Drug Enforcement Agency.

"I'm trying to force the council members (named in the impeachment) to
recuse themselves" from voting, Christie said.

Mayor Stephen Yamashiro and council members Jimmy Arakaki, Al Smith, Aaron
Chung, Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd, Dominic Yagong and Leningrad Elarionoff are
named in the impeachment petition filed in August. They also are named in
Tuesday's complaint, along with Big Island Police Chief Wayne Carvalho and
Lt. Henry Tavares.

The complaint requests a hearing on a permanent injunction, as well as
seeking a cease and desist order for all actions relating to the "Green
Harvest" or "Counter Cannabis" eradication programs, and an immediate order
to prevent the lawmakers from acting on resolutions approving the grants.

The complaint also claims the recent special study, which was done by the
County's Legislative Auditor's office, was an "illegal audit" and doesn't
meet the County Charter definition of a program review.

The impeachment petition charges the lawmakers with violating the County
Charter by not conducting a mandatory program review of the marijuana
eradication program, along with other related charges.

A preliminary hearing on the impeachment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. October 8.

Yamashiro's attorney, Robert Crudele, filed a motion for dismissal because
the impeachment doesn't detail the charges. The motion also says the
petition is not verified under the Hawaii Rules of Civil Procedure.

Diana Van De Car, attorney for Arakaki, also filed for dismissal because the
petition is not verified.  Leithead-Todd, Yagong, Smith, Chung and
Elarionoff also have filed motions for dismissal.

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