LIHUE — Three of a Utah man’s cases of allegedly violating quarantine were continued because his public defender Renee Arndt could not make contact with him via Zoom at O‘ahu Community Correctional Center Tuesday afternoon at Lihu’e Fifth Circuit Court.
David Barnes, 50, was transferred to OCCC after being held in the Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center on three separate cases in mid-January.
The state initially ordered Barnes to undergo a mental health evaluation for the misdemeanor charges he is facing after he tagged the Kaua‘i Police Dept. in the 83 TikTok videos he created that documented him allegedly violating quarantine.
Arndt stated in court she couldn’t conduct the examination and that a resolution is still being negotiated that would allow Barnes to waive the mental health examination.
According to Hawai’i Dept. of Safety Public Information Officer Toni Schwartz, Barnes was transferred from KCCC to OCCC to receive services that aren’t available at KCCC.
Schwartz told The Garden Island that she was unable to legally comment on the types of services that Barnes might be receiving.
Barnes was charged with seven separate violations of quarantine and a trespassing charge in the three cases, which he documented with 83 TikTok videos.
Barnes tagged the Kaua‘i Police Department in several of those videos from the time he arrived at the Lihu‘e Airport on Dec. 28 after traveling from the mainland.
On December 28, Barnes proceeded to leave the airport on foot and reportedly walked to Costco Wholesale, where he proceeded to shop.
The KPD arrested him that same day.
According to the KPD, he was released on $1,000 bail and required to complete his travel quarantine.
In the video, Barnes claims he spent two days in a KPD jail cell and one day at KCCC, where he was placed into solitary confinement before being released.
KPD arrested Barnes for a second time on Jan. 5 for three more counts of violating the governor’s and mayor’s emergency rules, and one count of simple trespass.
According to the court, his current bail remains at $11,000, and his next hearing on this matter is at 8 a.m. on Feb. 23 in the Fifth District Court.
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Jason Blasco can be reached at 245-0437 or jblasco@thegardenisland.com.
“Larry” Barnes?? Thought his name was “David” Barnes (insert shoulder shrug).
gREAT catch! You now get a guest spot every Wednesday instead of da hOOze or the other jokers in this deck of falling cards