An Alaska judge will preside over an upcoming Hawaii bribery trial after an unexpected recusal

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — A U.S. judge in Alaska will preside over an upcoming bribery trial in Hawaii against Honolulu’s former top prosecutor after a judge suddenly recused himself. A court order says U.S. Senior District Judge Timothy Burgess will temporarily serve as a judge in the Hawaii district in the case against former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro. This comes a day after U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright in Hawaii unexpectedly — and without explanation — recused himself from the case. He presided over the case since a U.S. grand jury indicted Kaneshiro and five others in 2022. The indictment alleges employees of an engineering and architectural firm bribed the then-prosecutor with campaign donations in exchange for Kaneshiro’s prosecution of a former company employee.