LIHU‘E — Sentencing was delayed in a hit-and-run negligent homicide case on Thursday as the defendant moved to rescind his no-contest plea.
Jared Denault, 45, of Wailua, is accused of causing a deadly June 2020 car accident before fleeing the scene.
In October 2022, he pleaded no contest to charges of Negligent Homicide in the Second Degree and Accidents Involving Death or Serious Bodily Injury. Four other counts against him were dropped.
In the motion to withdraw his plea, Denault’s attorney says he pleaded no contest in hopes of getting a supervised release.
“In order to expedite a possible release from custody before (he) lost his bed space at the Sand Island Treatment Center, (Denault) proceeded with changing his plea without having filed pretrial motions in his case,” reads the motion filed by Deputy Public Defender Marissa Agena, who is Denault’s attorney. Denault now intends to file a motion to dismiss the case.
Despite his plea, Denault’s request for supervised release was ultimately denied because of his extensive criminal history — which included an attempted escape from a minimum security work furlough center.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ramsey Ross submitted a memo in opposition to Denault’s motion to withdraw his plea on Wednesday.
Prosecutors allege that on June 19, 2020, Denault was traveling more than 30 miles per hour over the speed limit in a white Nissan pickup truck on Kaumuali‘i Highway, when he crossed the center line and collided head-on with a Porsche driven by 60-year-old Lihu‘e man Gustavo Orellana, who died at the scene.
The counts Denault pleaded to carry maximum penalties of five years and a $10,000 fine, and 10 years and a $25,000 fine, respectively.
Agena appeared in Fifth Circuit Court in Lihu‘e on Thursday where she withdrew as counsel for the defendant due to a conflict of interest. Denault will now be represented by Attorney Mark Zenger.
The court will address the motion to withdraw the plea on Feb. 16, 2023.
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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
