By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
"He is a victim of a nightmare. He was definding his life.
When he gets out, he's going to go national with his story.
This shouldn't happen to anyone again."
Elysa Kealoha, left, with her husband Larry,
on their son's incarceration.
Mom: Kealoha
a political prisoner
The 18-year-old, jailed for his role
By Jim Witty
in a cop's death, will be evaluated
for possible early parole tomorrow
Star-BulletinGabriel Kealoha's mother says her son is a political prisoner, targeted by aggressive prosecutors who want to see the young man endure more punishment. Kealoha, who has been incarcerated at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility since his sentencing for manslaughter in family court on April 16, will undergo a re-evaluation for early parole tomorrow.
The 18-year-old was sentenced for his role in the death of off-duty Honolulu police officer Arthur Miller, who fell from an H-1 viaduct near Honolulu Airport after pulling Kealoha over during a traffic altercation.
Kealoha's sentence ends on Feb. 2, 1998, his 19th birthday. But an evaluation on May 6 resulted in a unanimous decision that Kealoha be released early, so he could begin attending University of Hawaii under a special preparatory program starting June 29. The team of psychiatrists and psychologists determined that Kealoha would not reoffend or be a danger to the community.
Kealoha's attorney, Hayden Aluli, said a hard line by city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle may have delayed the release process.
By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Elysa Kealoha stands in the bedroom of her son Gabriel,
who will be re-evaluated tomorrow for early release
from a juvenile facility.
Carlisle, who had wanted Kealoha to stand trial in Circuit Court as an adult, said last week that early parole would minimize the offense and the consequences of Kealoha's actions.But Aluli and Kealoha's parents, Elysa and Larry, disagreed.
They said though they were glad Kealoha was tried in family court, the closed-door nature of the proceedings kept the public in the dark about what actually happened on the freeway eight months ago.
"This offender is an atypical juvenile offender," Aluli said during a press conference yesterday at the family's Nuuanu home. "He finished his schooling behind bars. We hope that when Gabriel gets out there will come a time when he can tell his story ... The right to a public trial is so fundamental."
"I believe he deserves to be released," said Elysa Kealoha.
"Because he's a victim of a nightmare. He was defending his life. When he gets out, he's going to go national with his story. This shouldn't happen to anyone ever again." She said her son still has "a lot of heartbreak" over the incident.
Kealoha said he was defending himself against Miller, a 19-year police department veteran whose blood alcohol level was .016, twice the legal limit.
Elysa Kealoha acknowledged that she enrolled her son in anger management classes after he had two fights with the same boy on the Kamehameha School football team and another loud argument with his girlfriend about the time of his waiver hearing.
But she criticized Carlisle for saying he has an "intimate understanding of the case and the defendant," noting that the two don't know each other.
Carlisle contends Kealoha's sentence was inconsequential for recklessly killing a police officer.
If Kealoha is released in time, he plans to attend UH under the College Opportunities Program that helps underrepresented minorities with the transition to higher education, she said. He wants to become a defense attorney.
Elysa Kealoha said her son has spent his time behind bars studying to earn his high school diploma and reading the Bible.
She also described an encounter with the victim's mother the day of Kealoha's sentencing, during which the two spoke of the losses they had suffered.
"Officer Miller must have had an awful lot of good points because he had a very forgiving and involved mother," Elysa Kealoha said.
