Can a White Federal Agent Who Killed a Hawaii Local Get a Fair Trial?

Sara Lin/Civil Beat

Racial tension has played an important role in Hawaii's history ever since Capt. James Cook first stepped foot on the Sandwich Isles.

From the imprisonment of Queen Liliuokalani and the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in the 1890s to "Kill Haole Day" and the stagnation of the Akaka bill in Congress, it's been an underlying part of the daily discourse here.

Now a Honolulu attorney representing U.S. special agent Christopher Deedy, who shot a local man in a Waikiki McDonald's, wants to make sure these long-simmering feelings won't keep his client — who is charged with murder — from getting a fair trial.

Deedy, a white male from Virginia, was in Honolulu last November as part of security detail to protect foreign dignitaries who were here for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.

After a night of socializing with friends, Deedy went to a Waikiki McDonald’s where he shot and killed Kollin Elderts, a brown-skinned, multi-ethnic 23-year-old from Kailua.

Loading

Immediately after, protesters took to the streets decrying Elderts’ death and blaming APEC.

There was also speculation about the circumstances leading up to the shooting. Was Elderts bullying Deedy and his friends, using racial epithets to rile the visiting federal agent? Or was it Deedy who was the aggressor, asking Elderts if he wanted to get shot and escalating a verbal argument into one that ended in tragedy.

While part of this response was due to the highly charged atmosphere created by APEC, Deedy’s attorney, Brook Hart, argues in court documents that much of it can also be attributed to increased media scrutiny and underlying socioeconomic and cultural issues facing the people of Hawaii.

In a recent phone interview, he also noted that “some pretty strong anti-mainland, anti-haole sentiment” has arisen since the shooting.

“The case involves many aspects and they go well beyond the particular incident in McDonald's,” Hart said. “We have a strong and vibrant community of local folks who have very negative feelings about actions that the federal government have taken over the years and those might well be translated in animosity toward an agent of the federal government.”

Michael Green, the attorney representing Elderts' family in a civil suit against Deedy, disagrees with Hart's assertion, and says race hasn't become a legitimate factor in the case.

"He's trying to create any type of an issue that he thinks might help him at trial," Green said. "He's doing his job as a lawyer."

Hart didn’t want to delve into details, saying that he wants to save his comments for the courtroom. He added that he hasn’t made a decision yet on whether to ask for a change of venue. Trial has been set for September.

But in his May 14 court filing that asks for permission to more thoroughly question jurors about their potential bias, Hart describes some of the outside influences on the case and how those were latched onto by groups, such as Moana Nui, (De)Occupy Honolulu and the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.

“This case became a symbol of the federal government wrongfully exercising jurisdiction over the Hawaiian Kingdom; it became a sign of the 1% oppressing the 99%; it became an example of a mainland 'haole' allegedly expressing malice and prejudice towards a local Hawaiian,” Hart said in his motion.

READ MORE: http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2012/06/19/16103-can-a-white-fede...

Views: 387

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

This is all I know.  Deedy wasn't here for not even 24 hrs. He was packing heat and drinking.  Waikiki had what is rare, A shooting death.  He was released from jail in about 12 hrs and left the State with no stipulations on $250K bail. The man is Secrete service!  APEC was hell!

  1. Opening statements conclude in Christopher Deedy murder trial ...

    Hawaii News Now‎ - 6 hours ago
    The murder trial for federal agent Christopher Deedy began just before 10 a.m. on Monday, with an attorney for the prosecution delivering an ...
  2. What to expect in the Christopher Deedy murder trial

    Hawaii News Now‎ - 7 hours ago
    Christopher Deedy is charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting Kollin Elderts during a scuffle at a Waikiki McDonalds.
    Trial underway for federal agent accused of Waikiki murder KHON2
    Deedy Murder Trial Begins Honolulu Civil Beat (blog)
    Murder trial begins for federal agent charged with killing man at fast ... Minneapolis Star Tribune
  3. Fed agent's Waikiki murder trial set to open

    Hawaii News Now‎ - 3 days ago
    HONOLULU (AP) - Attorneys are preparing for trial to start in the ... State Department Special Agent Christopher Deedy's lawyers say it's likely ...
    Trial to begin for federal agent accused of Waikiki murder KHON2
    Trial for federal agent charged in Waikiki McDonald's shooting set to ... The Tribune
  4. Trial begins for federal agent accused of Waikiki murder

    KHON2‎ - 8 hours ago
    The murder trial for a federal agent accused of fatally shooting a Kailua man two years ago in Waikiki is underway. Christopher Deedy is ...
  5. Waikiki McDonald's shooting trial begins

    Thegardenisland.com‎ - 5 hours ago
    The trial against State Department Special Agent Christopher Deedy started Monday with opening statements. The 29-year-old is charged with ...

RSS

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Burbia posted a blog post

Is the Timing of Alex Jones and Charlie Sheen Connected?

Alex Jones is sperging out.Charlie Sheen is coming out of the closet.Is this why Alex Jones is…See More
17 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Buying the Last haunted House on the Left (A partial autobiography)

Note to the reader, there are events here that are true and some that are fictional.Chapter IIt was…See More
yesterday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

In Memory of Those Who Served

 Bullets flew and ricochetedI was on that hill todayMy Company commander got blown awayI was on…See More
Thursday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Tuesday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"cheeki kea I was wrong Emperor Penguins are big and powerful but still alive but this,  A size…"
Tuesday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"Cheeki kea here's another that they say there have been modern sightings of!  The name of…"
Tuesday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"cheeki kea, did you ever hear of the giant Imperial Penguins? They were about 6 feet tall and could…"
Tuesday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Plausible Explanation Behind Recent Cryptid Sightings in the Wild!
"cheeki kea I do not think these giant two legged birds would need to have a bad attitude as long as…"
Tuesday
Olivia Brooks updated their profile
Tuesday
John Miller was featured
Tuesday
tjdavis's 2 blog posts were featured
Tuesday
Zfort Group's blog post was featured
Tuesday
Doc Vega's 6 blog posts were featured
Tuesday
Burbia commented on tjdavis's video
Thumbnail

“What’s His Motive?” - Inside The Mind of George Soros

"Trump calls for George Soros and son to face federal…"
Tuesday
Burbia commented on tjdavis's photo
Tuesday
Profile IconSeeta Sathe and Olivia Brooks joined 12160 Social Network
Tuesday
tjdavis posted a video

Mossad, Terrifying CIA Technology, Blackwater & The Most Secret CIA Unit | John Kiriakou

John Kiriakou served 15 years in the CIA as a Case Officer (Spy) and as CIA's Head of Counterterrorism Operations in Pakistan where he lead the raid that cap...
Monday
tjdavis posted a photo
Monday
tjdavis posted a video

A Critique of the Tavistock Institute - The Mother Of All Conspiracy Theories

An examination of the Tavistock Institute, a theory which seeks to explain how Western societies have been brainwashed by a cabal of social scientists and th...
Aug 31
tjdavis posted a video

“What’s His Motive?” - Inside The Mind of George Soros

In this short clip, Patrick Bet-David, Sebastian Gorka Adam Sosnick, and Tom Ellsworth George Soros and what motivates him to do the things he does. FaceTime...
Aug 27

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted