Driver without license gets 90 days in jail

LIHU‘E — Getting caught multiple times driving without a license in five years resulted in a 90-day jail sentence for a Kapa‘a man Thursday in 5th Circuit Court.

Shannon J. Cordeiro had his sentencing continued from March 1, after claiming discrepancies on his driving history existed on two abstract reports from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Despite having already pleaded guilty to the charge, Cordeiro said the abstract used in the pre-sentencing report was in error and could affect his sentencing.

The discrepancies had to do with reported violations as convictions.

On Thursday, the judge said the issue was resolved and that the reports are consolidated.

Chief Judge Randal Valenciano said Cordeiro’s driving record is 68 pages long and stretches back to 1993. Cordeiro has prior driving-without-a-license violations in 1993, 1995, 1998 and 2005. He was caught driving with a suspended license in 2007 and 2009 and has already served jail time.

Either get your license back or learn to stop driving, Valenciano told Cordeiro. The judge referred to a recent Hawai‘i appellate court decision to show that similar charges are given more jail time for just a first-offense.

Cordeiro apologized to the court and thanked his attorney. He said to demonstrate the seriousness of taking responsibility, he has given his vehicle away and paid about $2,000 in fines to the state, with around $1,500 in court fines remaining.

County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Murphy said the state recommended six months in jail for the offense, given the defendant’s driving history.

Defense attorney Dena Renti Cruz said Cordeiro has a driving history but has no criminal history. She said the economy put him in a position to make bad choices but that he drove to work and to support his family.

The 90-day sentence will have credit for eight days already served in jail.