LIHU’E — A Kapa‘a man was sentenced to a year in jail for firearms and forgery charges, but has already served all but two weeks of his time. Daniel Hew Ikeda, 21, stood before 5th Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe on
LIHU’E — A Kapa‘a man was sentenced to a year in jail for firearms and forgery charges, but has already served all but two weeks of his time.
Daniel Hew Ikeda, 21, stood before 5th Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe on Wednesday to address sentencing several months after his incarceration for failing Drug Court.
Deputy Public Defender Christian Enright said Ikeda has come a long way from his arrest on felony second-degree forgery and a subsequent misdemeanor gun permit violation while awaiting trial in 2010.
After being inducted into Drug Court by 5th Circuit Chief Judge Randal Valenciano in March 2011, Ikeda was terminated for violation of terms in July. His case was referred back to Circuit Court where he was found guilty by Watanabe following a stipulated facts trial on Sept. 6.
Watanabe said Ikeda had a bad attitude in Drug Court but seems to have changed after his 350 days of incarceration. She attributed this to jail time making it possible to stay clean of methamphetamine.
“I thank God every day for it,” Ikeda said.
After Ikeda apologized to the court for writing a check of his father’s to buy drugs, Watanabe had him turn around and apologize to his mother who was in court.
County Second Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Samuel Jajich said the state recommended probation after completing the one-year jail sentence. He said probation was appropriate for the defendant not having a prior record, despite the bad time Ikeda gave drug court staff several months prior.
Enright said Ikeda has come a long way, and that now clean of drugs, the discipline of the former serviceman who served a year in Kuwait was beginning to emerge. He described Ikeda as bright, artistic and a self-aware young man who is beginning to envision a path for the rest of his life.
For the forgery charge Watanabe sentenced Ikeda to five years probation and one year in jail with credit for time served.
She gave a concurrent sentence of five years probation and six months jail with credit on the firearms charge — and ordered that the weapon be confiscated.
