Fifth Circuit Court cases from Aug. 9: – Anthony Bernaldes pleaded no-contest to hunting-restriction violations and firearms charges. Judge Clifford Nakea set Oct. 11 for sentencing. – Jon McMaster was slated to be sentenced on charges of sexual assault and
Fifth Circuit Court cases from Aug. 9:
– Anthony Bernaldes pleaded no-contest to hunting-restriction violations and firearms charges. Judge Clifford Nakea set Oct. 11 for sentencing.
– Jon McMaster was slated to be sentenced on charges of sexual assault and abuse of family, both misdemeanors. He had pleaded no-contest in a plea arrangement in June.
One of the pre-sentence conditions was that McMaster, at his own expense, obtain a psycho-sexual evaluation. McMaster had not done it when his attorney, public defender James Itamura, told Nakea that the defendant couldn’t afford the test.
“Mr. McMaster does not have $2,000. We’re not trying to evade anything. It’s just a matter of how much blood you can squeeze from a rock,” Itamura said.
“It’s really to Mr. McMaster’s benefit to have the assessment. Otherwise, we have no alternative but to ask for the maximum sentence on both charges,” Kaua’i County deputy prosecutor Russell Goo responded.
Nakea sided with Goo, postponed sentencing until Aug. 23 and told McMaster to report “what you’ve done since June 5” to obtain a psychosexual assessment.
– Brian Reyes, who is being held at Kaua’i Community Correctional Center on a $20,000 bond on charges of family abuse, terroristic threatening, assault and kidnapping, was in court Thursday seeking a bail reduction.
“The complainant in the case is not fearful of Mr. Reyes,” said Itamura, his attorney. But Nakea refused to reduce bail.
Compiled by staff writer Dennis Wilken.
