Hawaiʻi County Police Detective William Brown is facing a potential five-year sentence after being convicted of perjury, according to a judgment handed down on April 2nd. Brown, who served in the Vice Division of the Hawaiʻi County Police Department, was found to have deliberately lied under oath during a grand jury proceeding. This verdict serves as a solemn reminder of the legal system's expectations for its officers.
Judge Peter K. Kubota presided over the bench trial which ultimately revealed that Brown had claimed a suspect admitted to bringing both her cell phone and a pink stuffed animal pencil case into a vehicle involved in a drug case. However, evidence showed the suspect had consistently stated she only had her cell phone. Deputy Attorney General Albert Cook expressed the gravity of the situation, explaining, "Our legal system is designed to find the truth. When witnesses lie, it undermines our legal system and perverts the quest for justice." This was in a statement obtained by the Office of the Governor.
The truth-seeking process in this case was compromised, and as such, the Deputy Attorney General emphasized the department's commitment to uphold the criminal justice system's integrity, including the prosecution of those who commit perjury, as Brown now awaits his sentencing set for May 23.
The sentencing hearing, also to be overseen by Judge Kubota, stands to finally close a chapter in this case that has cast a spotlight on the responsibilities law enforcement officers hold. An officer's word carries weight in the process of adjudication, and to falsely wield this power can serve to entirely disrupt the pursuit of justice—a mission the Department of the Attorney General cannot allow to be compromised. "The Department of the Attorney General is committed to protecting the integrity of the criminal justice system and will prosecute those who commit perjury," Cook told reporters during the trial proceedings.
