It appears that a 70-year-old Hilo man accused of a fatal hit-and-run traffic collision last week that killed an elderly woman cyclist will remain in jail for the time being.
Carlton Inada pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of second-degree negligent homicide and leaving the scene of the Oct. 3 crash on Akolea Road that killed 79-year-old Barbara Klein, a prominent Hilo aikido instructor.
Inada, who allegedly told police he hit Klein’s recumbent tricycle with his 2016 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck intentionally to teach her a lesson for “just going slow all the time,” answered several routine questions Wednesday from Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota with “yes, Your Honor” and “no, Your Honor,” in a deep, clear voice.
Deputy Public Defender Belinda Castillo-Hughes told the judge Inada had expressed his desire to hire longtime Hilo attorney Raymond Hasegawa to defend him. Kubota told Inaba he’s free to hire a private attorney, but until he does, he’ll be represented by a public defender.
Castillo-Hughes requested Inada be freed on supervised release or his own recognizance — forms of cashless bail — or that Inada’s $100,000 bail be reduced to a “nominal bail” amount.
“The reason we’re asking for supervised release or release on his own recognizance is that Mr. Inada was born and raised in Hilo. It doesn’t appear he’s a flight risk,” Castillo-Hughes said. “He’s not going to go anywhere. He graduated from Hilo High School, ran a hardware store here in Hilo. He’s retired from that. The residence he resides at now, he’s been there 30 years.”
According to the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs website, Inada was vice president of his family’s business, Island Supply Inc., which appears to have been shuttered in the late 1990s. His father, Kiyoshi, who died at age 85 in 2012, was the company president. His mother, Lily, was the secretary/treasurer. She died Feb. 8 this year at age 92, and the Haleloke Street home where Inada lives is still in her name, according to the county Real Property Tax Office website.
In her argument for cashless or reduced bail, Castillo-Hughes also pointed out that Inada — whom she said lives on a fixed income of about $800 a month — has no prior criminal history.
“He’s not convicted. He’s still innocent until proven guilty.”
Deputy Public Defender Joseph Lee objected to the defense motion and requested Kubota maintain Inada’s bail at $100,000 “due to the serious nature of the charges.”
“In this case, we’re possibly looking at a prison term of 10 years,” Lee said. “… Based on that and the serious nature of the charges that are here, we believe that $100,000 bail is warranted and appropriate in this matter.”
Kubota told Castillo-Hughes the matter of bail can be revisited after a bail study — which is not a publicly available document — is done.
“But at this time, based on the charges that Mr. Inada is facing, the court feels that the $100,000 bail is appropriate,” the judge said.
A trial date is usually set after the acceptance of a not guilty plea, but Castillo-Hughes instead requested a court hearing for “further proceedings.”
“I think there are some issues that maybe we can clear up before actually setting a trial,” she told the judge.
Kubota set a court hearing for further proceedings at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 15.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.