Lack of jurors forces assault case to be continued

LIHU’E — One-third of the jurors summoned to appear by the Kaua’i County Fifth Circuit court showed up to court for Monday morning’s trial.

Twenty-two of the 60 jurors summoned appeared for what was supposed to be the first official jury trial the County of Kaua’i has conducted since last March.

Fifth Circuit Judge Randal G. B. Valenciano remained optimistic there will be enough jurors from the two pools to start the trial at 8 a.m. on Feb. 16.

Valenciano announced to the court he is hoping that juries, picked from two separate pools, would total in the mid-30s to conduct the first trial since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Forty-seven of the 60 jurors were expected to appear in court Monday morning.

The first case that is scheduled to go to trial involves a Kaua’i man facing charges of assault in the second degree.

According to the affidavit, Randy William Puulei allegedly used a weapon to cause injury to a victim.

The degree of injury is referred to in the affidavit as a “substantial bodily injury,” which is classified as the following: a major avulsion, laceration or penetration of the skin.

The affidavit also classifies that as a burn in the second degree, a bone fracture or a serious concussion.

Puulei’s attorney Bentley Adams requested a subpoena to photograph the machete that was the weapon used in the case and has edited bodycam footage he would like to utilize in his arguments.

The trial was continued to Feb. 16, and Puulei is currently held at the Kaua’i Community Correctional Center with a bond of $10,000.

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Jason Blasco can be reached at 245-0437 or jblasco@thegardenisland.com.