HONOLULU (AP) — A month before the start of a trial against Honolulu’s former top prosecutor for allegedly taking campaign donation bribes in exchange for prosecuting an employee of an engineering and architectural firm, the judge who has been presiding over the case for several years is unexpectedly recusing himself. U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright issued an order Wednesday morning rescuing himself in the case against former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro. Jury selection was scheduled to begin next month in one of Hawaii’s most anticipated criminal trials. Seabright’s order doesn’t explain his recusal.
