2004-11-10 Board of Ethics Minutes REG pc

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CHAIR: Thank you. Petitioner: Thank you Mr. Chairman. By way of introduction, I know all of you might not know me. My name if Paul deSilva and unfortunately, by next month I'm going to be seventy. By way of experience, I went to Hilo High School and graduated from Hilo High School in 1952. Then the University of Hawaii, I got out of there in 1958 with a teacher's certificate. I taught school for eight years... public school, and with three children and my wife and no money, I went to the mainland and my wife took care of the children and I supported my family and earned a law degree. After doing that, I returned back to Hilo and I became employed by the County Attorneys Office. My first job was the Ethics Commission... the Board of Ethics rather. In fact, I must confess, I really didn't know much about what was doing, unlike your present counsel. After working for a couple of years, I got activated and sent overseas along with Police Commissioner Horace Hara and Police Commissioner Pete Mueller who also went to Korea to serve that time then came back to Hilo. Then when I came back they tried to split the County Attorneys Office and the Prosecutors side and the Corporation Counsel side. I went with the Prosecuting Attorney's side. I stayed there for a few years, and I was elected Prosecutor twice. After that... in mid -term, I was appointed by the Chief Justice of District Court of the Third Circuit in Hilo. And then I was elevated later to the Circuit Court. I retired from there in 1988, then practiced law for six years. till I joined the Police Commission in January of 2003. 1 resigned from the Police Commission this year... I think it was in July or August... but sure. want to say just by way of background that I resigned from the Police Commission for the number of reasons. Some of the reasons are personal reasons, and other reasons are that I became very frustrated with the Police Commission and I found that I was not handling my own personal frustrations very well, so I thought it would be best for everyone if I resigned. Still I have an interest in civilian review of law enforcement. In fact, it has become my hobby. And I not prefer to be a watch dog over the Police Commission, rather than f watch dog over the Police. I want to say before I try to give my analysis of what happened here exactly. I have a great deal of personal respect for Mr. Manago. I think he was a good commissioner. I think that Mr. Hara, Deputy Chief Kubojiri and , for the most part, I agree with. think Mr. Manago is a decent man; comes from a good and honorable family that has made long term contributions to this community; he's a gentleman; he's intelligent; he's a good man; he's a good family man; a good father; and I think he's also a member of a church, too, what I understand. So 4