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The Independent
11-07-2025
- The Independent
Native Hawaiian man to be resentenced for hate crime against white man
A Native Hawaiian man convicted of a hate crime against a white man must be re-sentenced, a U.S. appeals court has ruled. The result could be several more years behind bars. Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi was sentenced in 2023 by a judge in Honolulu to six-and-a-half years after a jury found both him and another Native Hawaiian man, Levi Aki Jr., guilty. The jury found that Alo-Kaonohi and Aki Jr. were motivated by Christopher Kunzelman's race when they attacked him in 2014 to trying to move into their remote village on the island of Maui. The pair punched and kicked Kunzelman and used a shovel to beat him. Alo-Kaonohi appealed the conviction, but prosecutors cross-appealed, challenging the judge's conclusion that he could not apply the hate crime enhancement to the sentence. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel also ruled Thursday to affirm Alo-Kaonohi's conviction. An undated mugshot of Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi (Hawaii Department of Public Safety) It was unclear exactly how much more time Alo-Kaonohi could get in prison. However, based on sentencing guidelines and the judge's previous sentence, it could be up to three additional years, said Alexander Silvert, a retired federal defender in Honolulu who was not involved in the case. Alo-Kaonohi's attorneys and prosecutors did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the ruling. Aki's appeal, along with prosecutors' cross-appeal of Aki's sentence of about four years, were voluntarily dismissed, according to court records. Kunzelman's wife, Lori Kunzelman, said hursday that she is glad prosecutors pushed for a lengthier sentence. The Kunzelmans purchased a dilapidated, oceanfront house on Maui sight-unseen for $175,000 because they wanted to leave Arizona after her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. 'We had vacationed on Maui year after year — loved, loved, loved Maui,' she said. Levi Aki Jr. was convicted alongside Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi (Hawaii Department of Public Safety) She also added that they saw the home as an affordable opportunity that her husband could fix up. Lori Kunzelman said the beating of her husband 'destroyed my marriage' and his brain injuries led them to go through a divorce. She said her husband was traveling in Europe and unavailable to comment on the ruling. They still own the property, she said, and do not know what to do with it. 'The families there won't allow anybody to step foot on that property,' she said. 'There's so much animosity.' The case highlighted struggles between Native Hawaiians who are adamant about not having their culture erased and people who move to the islands without knowing or considering the history and nuanced racial dynamics of the place. Central to the case was the use of the word 'haole,' a Hawaiian word with meanings that include 'foreigner' and 'white person'. Dennis Kunzelman testified that the men called him 'haole' in a derogatory way. Attorneys for Aki and Alo-Kaonohi said it was not Kunzelman's race that provoked them but his entitled and disrespectful attitude. The Hawaii Innocence Project plans to take up the case, according to Kenneth Lawson, the organization's co-director. It intends to argue that an ineffective defense did not present for the jury the history of the word 'haole' in Hawaii and show it is not a derogatory term. 'I just don't believe that it's a hate crime,' Lawson said. He also said the defense should have called as witnesses white, non-Hawaiian residents who would have testified that they lived in the village without any racial problems.
New York Post
11-07-2025
- New York Post
Native Hawaii man to be resentenced in hate crime against a white man he beat with a shovel
A native Hawaiian man serving time for brutally beating a white man with a shovel over a decade ago will be resentenced and could be hit with additional years in prison after his appeal of his hate crime conviction was rejected. Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi, 35, was originally sentenced to six-and-a-half years by a Honolulu judge alongside Levi Aki Jr, another Native Hawaiian man, after a jury found them both guilty of the hate-fueled violence in 2023. The court determined that the duo were motivated by Christopher Kunzelman's race when they repeatedly beat him with a shovel in 2014 when he and his wife tried to move into their remote village in Maui. 4 Levi Aki Jr. and Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi were both found guilty of a hate crime, agreeing with prosecutors that the two men were motivated by Christopher Kunzelman's race when they punched, kicked, and used a shovel to beat him in 2014. AP Kunzelman was left with severe brain damage following the assault that placed such stress on his marriage that it catalyzed a divorce, his wife Lori said. Alo-Kaonohi tried to appeal the conviction, taking issue with the federal hate crime enhancement, but the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction Thursday. During the original trial, Alo-Kaonohi's attorneys asserted that the attack on Kunzelman was fueled more by his entitled attitude. It's still not clear how much more time he could get. Considering the judge's previous sentence, though, retired federal defender Alexander Silvert, who is not involved in the retrial, suggested three extra years could feasibly be tacked on. Lori Kunzelman said she'd welcome the extended sentence after she and her husband were essentially run out of their dream home before even moving in. 4 Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi, 35, was originally sentenced to six-and-a-half years by a Honolulu judge. AP 4 The court determined that the duo were motivated by Christopher Kunzelman's race when they repeatedly beat him with a shovel in 2014. Christopher Kunzelman The Kunzelmans still own the trodden-down house they originally purchased on the ocean for $175,000 while they were seeking an escape from Arizona after Lori was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. 'We had vacationed on Maui year after year — loved, loved, loved Maui,' she said. It's been impossible to sell the home, Lori said, as locals just 'won't allow anybody to step foot' on the property. 4 Christopher Kunzelman was beaten when he and his wife tried to move into a remote village in Maui. Christopher Kunzelman 'It was obviously a hate crime from the very beginning. The whole time they're saying things like, 'You have the wrong skin color. No 'haole' is ever going to live in our neighborhood,'' Lori said after the 2023 trial wrapped. Haole, a Hawaiian word that was central to the first trial, can mean 'foreigner' and 'white person.' Much of the struggles between native Hawaiians and white tourists stems from the lack of education surrounding the islands' forced inclusion as a US state and its native history. The Hawaii Innocence Project plans on contesting the retrial to prove that 'haole' is not a derogatory term, the organization's co-director Kenneth Lawson said. With Post wires
The Independent
11-07-2025
- The Independent
Native Hawaiian man faces longer prison term for hate crime against white man
A Native Hawaiian man who was convicted of a hate crime against a white man must be re-sentenced, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday, and the result could be several more years in prison. Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in 2023 by a judge in Honolulu after a jury found him and another Native Hawaiian man guilty. The jury found that Alo-Kaonohi and Levi Aki Jr. were motivated by Christopher Kunzelman's race when they punched, kicked and used a shovel to beat him in 2014 for trying to move into their remote Maui village. Alo-Kaonohi appealed the conviction, and prosecutors cross-appealed, challenging the judge's conclusion that he could not apply the hate crime enhancement to the sentence. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel also ruled Thursday to affirm Alo-Kaonohi's conviction. It was unclear exactly how much more time Alo-Kaonohi could get, but based on sentencing guidelines and the judge's previous sentence, it could be up to three additional years, said Alexander Silvert, a retired federal defender in Honolulu who was not involved in the case. Alo-Kaonohi's attorneys and prosecutors did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the ruling. Aki's appeal, along with prosecutors' cross-appeal of Aki's sentence of about four years, were voluntarily dismissed, according to court records. Kunzelman's wife, Lori Kunzelman, told AP Thursday that she is glad prosecutors pushed for a lengthier sentence. The Kunzelmans purchased a dilapidated, oceanfront house there sight-unseen for $175,000 because they wanted to leave Arizona after Lori Kunzelman's multiple sclerosis diagnosis. 'We had vacationed on Maui year after year — loved, loved, loved Maui,' she said, adding that they saw the home as an affordable opportunity that her husband could fix up. She said the beating of her husband 'destroyed my marriage' and his brain injuries led them to go through a divorce. She said her husband was traveling in Europe and unavailable to comment on the ruling. They still own the property, she said, and do not know what to do with it. 'The families there won't allow anybody to step foot on that property,' she said. 'There's so much animosity.' The case highlighted struggles between Native Hawaiians who are adamant about not having their culture erased and people who move to the islands without knowing or considering its history and nuanced racial dynamics. Central to the case was the use of the word, 'haole,' a Hawaiian word with meanings that include foreigner and white person. Dennis Kunzelman testified that the men called him 'haole' in a derogatory way. Attorneys for Aki and Alo-Kaonohi said it was not Kunzelman's race that provoked them but his entitled and disrespectful attitude. The Hawaii Innocence Project plans to take up the case, according to Kenneth Lawson, the organization's co-director. It intends to argue that an ineffective defense did not present for the jury the history of the word 'haole' in Hawaii and show it is not a derogatory term. 'I just don't believe that it's a hate crime,' Lawson said. He also said the defense should have called as witnesses white, non-Hawaiian residents who would have testified that they lived in the village without any racial problems.
Al Arabiya
11-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
Native Hawaiian man faces longer prison term for hate crime against white man
HONOLULU (AP) – A Native Hawaiian man who was convicted of a hate crime against a white man must be re-sentenced, a US appeals court ruled Thursday, and the result could be several more years in prison. Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in 2023 by a judge in Honolulu after a jury found him and another Native Hawaiian man guilty. The jury found that Alo-Kaonohi and Levi Aki Jr. were motivated by Christopher Kunzelman's race when they punched, kicked, and used a shovel to beat him in 2014 for trying to move into their remote Maui village. Alo-Kaonohi appealed the conviction, and prosecutors cross-appealed, challenging the judge's conclusion that he could not apply the hate crime enhancement to the sentence. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals panel also ruled Thursday to affirm Alo-Kaonohi's conviction. It was unclear exactly how much more time Alo-Kaonohi could get, but based on sentencing guidelines and the judge's previous sentence, it could be up to three additional years, said Alexander Silvert, a retired federal defender in Honolulu who was not involved in the case. Alo-Kaonohi's attorneys and prosecutors did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the ruling. Aki's appeal, along with prosecutors' cross-appeal of Aki's sentence of about four years, were voluntarily dismissed, according to court records. Kunzelman's wife, Lori Kunzelman, told AP Thursday that she is glad prosecutors pushed for a lengthier sentence. The Kunzelmans purchased a dilapidated oceanfront house there sight-unseen for $175,000 because they wanted to leave Arizona after Lori Kunzelman's multiple sclerosis diagnosis. 'We had vacationed on Maui year after year – loved, loved, loved Maui,' she said, adding that they saw the home as an affordable opportunity that her husband could fix up. She said the beating of her husband 'destroyed my marriage,' and his brain injuries led them to go through a divorce. She said her husband was traveling in Europe and unavailable to comment on the ruling. They still own the property, she said, and do not know what to do with it. 'The families there won't allow anybody to step foot on that property,' she said. 'There's so much animosity.' The case highlighted struggles between Native Hawaiians who are adamant about not having their culture erased and people who move to the islands without knowing or considering its history and nuanced racial dynamics. Central to the case was the use of the word 'haole,' a Hawaiian word with meanings that include 'foreigner' and 'white person.' Dennis Kunzelman testified that the men called him 'haole' in a derogatory way. Attorneys for Aki and Alo-Kaonohi said it was not Kunzelman's race that provoked them but his entitled and disrespectful attitude. The Hawaii Innocence Project plans to take up the case, according to Kenneth Lawson, the organization's co-director. It intends to argue that an ineffective defense did not present for the jury the history of the word 'haole' in Hawaii and show it is not a derogatory term. 'I just don't believe that it's a hate crime,' Lawson said. He also said the defense should have called as witnesses white non-Hawaiian residents who would have testified that they lived in the village without any racial problems.
Associated Press
11-07-2025
- Associated Press
Native Hawaiian man faces longer prison term for hate crime against white man
HONOLULU (AP) — A Native Hawaiian man who was convicted of a hate crime against a white man must be re-sentenced, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday, and the result could be several more years in prison. Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in 2023 by a judge in Honolulu after a jury found him and another Native Hawaiian man guilty. The jury found that Alo-Kaonohi and Levi Aki Jr. were motivated by Christopher Kunzelman's race when they punched, kicked and used a shovel to beat him in 2014 for trying to move into their remote Maui village. Alo-Kaonohi appealed the conviction, and prosecutors cross-appealed, challenging the judge's conclusion that he could not apply the hate crime enhancement to the sentence. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel also ruled Thursday to affirm Alo-Kaonohi's conviction. It was unclear exactly how much more time Alo-Kaonohi could get, but based on sentencing guidelines and the judge's previous sentence, it could be up to three additional years, said Alexander Silvert, a retired federal defender in Honolulu who was not involved in the case. Alo-Kaonohi's attorneys and prosecutors did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the ruling. Aki's appeal, along with prosecutors' cross-appeal of Aki's sentence of about four years, were voluntarily dismissed, according to court records. Kunzelman's wife, Lori Kunzelman, told AP Thursday that she is glad prosecutors pushed for a lengthier sentence. The Kunzelmans purchased a dilapidated, oceanfront house there sight-unseen for $175,000 because they wanted to leave Arizona after Lori Kunzelman's multiple sclerosis diagnosis. 'We had vacationed on Maui year after year — loved, loved, loved Maui,' she said, adding that they saw the home as an affordable opportunity that her husband could fix up. She said the beating of her husband 'destroyed my marriage' and his brain injuries led them to go through a divorce. She said her husband was traveling in Europe and unavailable to comment on the ruling. They still own the property, she said, and do not know what to do with it. 'The families there won't allow anybody to step foot on that property,' she said. 'There's so much animosity.' The case highlighted struggles between Native Hawaiians who are adamant about not having their culture erased and people who move to the islands without knowing or considering its history and nuanced racial dynamics. Central to the case was the use of the word, 'haole,' a Hawaiian word with meanings that include foreigner and white person. Dennis Kunzelman testified that the men called him 'haole' in a derogatory way. Attorneys for Aki and Alo-Kaonohi said it was not Kunzelman's race that provoked them but his entitled and disrespectful attitude. The Hawaii Innocence Project plans to take up the case, according to Kenneth Lawson, the organization's co-director. It intends to argue that an ineffective defense did not present for the jury the history of the word 'haole' in Hawaii and show it is not a derogatory term. 'I just don't believe that it's a hate crime,' Lawson said. He also said the defense should have called as witnesses white, non-Hawaiian residents who would have testified that they lived in the village without any racial problems.
