LIHU‘E — Criminal defense attorney Craig De Costa requested to Fifth District Court Judge Michael Soong that famous record producer Rick Rubin’s lack of presence in court be waived Wednesday morning in Fifth District Court.
Rubin, 57, who successfully filed a motion to legally change his name from Frederick Rubin to Rick Rubin in 2014, was charged with a COVID-19 violation after violating the required quarantine on Sept. 2.
The time of the alleged offense was during Hawai’i’s and the County of Kaua’i’s mandatory 14-day quarantine period for off-island visitors.
Rubin’s alleged violation occurred in Princeville when a caller spotted him walking on an empty area of Anini Beach near his lodging location.
No one else was in that area of the beach at the time, except for a member of the paparazzi that followed Rubin since he arrived at the commuter airport on Sept. 1.
The caller used his phone to videotape Rubin during the alleged violation at 6:30 p.m. near his Princeville resort in the 3900 block of Anini Road.
Rubin, along with Russell Simmons, is considered one of the founders of the Def Jam Record label in the mid-1980s, a label that featured multi-platinum recording artists such as Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys.
Rubin later worked with famous recording artists producing the albums of Jay-Z, Eminem, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Sheryl Crow, Tom Petty, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Rubin’s next court date will be February 9, 2021, and it is not known as of press time whether Rubin’s presence will be required at his trial.
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Jason Blasco, reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or jblasco@thegardenisland.com.
