David C. Farmer, Trustee vs. Harmon - Witness Fred Hemmings

Fred Hemmings is a Republican member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 25th District since 2000. Previously he was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1984 through 1990.

He is also a surfer, and author. He is a 1965 graduate of Punahou School As 1968 world surfing champion, Hemmings is considered one of the most successful surfers of all time. After a career of professional surfing in the 1960s and 1970s, Hemmings entered politics. In 1991, Hemmings was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame, and in 1998 the Hawaii State Sports Hall of Fame.

bobby_n_harmon@yahoo.com, Ken_Conklin@yahoo.com, jurisnot2@yahoo.com, bailout@michaelmoore.com, stich@unfriendlyskies.com, tbrnews@hotmail.com, editor@educate-yourself.org, webactivist@aarp.org, victoryusa@jail4judges.org

CATCH A WAVE: A Case Study of Hawaii's New Politics [Tom Coffman - Honolulu Star-Bulletin] documented under: LAND & POWER IN HAWAII [Cooper & Daws]:

FOLLOW THE HAWAII MONEY SPECIAL ENTITLEMENT BILKING TRAIL WITH POLITICAL CAPITAL CONSTRUCTIVE FRAUD, BLACKMAIL, AND RACKETEERING RETALIATION SET-UPS UNDER THE PREDATORY VULTURES IN PARADISE!

Public Scope: State Senator's wife accused of stealing [?] - Honolulu Advertiser

Links: Private Punahou High School - Hawaii State Senator: Fred Hemmings - Wife Lydia Hemmings - Hawaii Surfing Connections to Hawaii Judge Martin Pence [Hilo Sugar Strikes - Unions] - Hawaii Judge Nils Taveras [conflicts of family interests for biased, prejudicial Court Proceedings for Judge Nils Tavaras sister, Rose Tavaras, married to Hawaii Land Developer Pat Murphy [Big Island of Hawaii Speculative Land Boom prior to Hawaii Statehood.... involved with my father, a U.S. Military Veteran of Foreign Wars - Battle of Leyte Gulf, who was suing fellow Irish Catholic Pat Murphy for Hawaii land fraud "swindle" case with Hawaii Attorney Echi Oki - 442 Hawaii U.S. Regiment member] - Hawaii Political Fraudulant U.S. Ninth District Circuit Courts - Hawaiian History going back to:

Sanford Dole, Robert Wilcox family [Kaloa, Kauai], 1893 Hawaii Monarchy Revolution; Hawaii Provisionary Government [1893 - 1898]; Hawaii U.S. Protected Territorial Republic with Pro Bono Labor Union Strikes; Hawaii returning World War 11 Veterans - Hawaii AJA 442 Regiment Political Investor Huis; 1954 Hawaii Legislature Revolution; 1959 Hawaii Statehood Act; 1960s - 1979s Hawaii Maryland Laws [Land Reform Conversions]; 1978 Hawaii Constitutional Convention Political Hui Investors under the creation for the Non-Profit Political Office of Hawaiian Affairs; 1976 - 1979 U.S. Intelligence Committee Chairman: Hawaii U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye; 1976 U.S. CIA Director: George H.W. Bush - Hawaii Corporate Government Shell Veils under perpetual Hawaii / U.S. Government plausible denials: Nugan Hand Bank International - Bishop, Baldwin, REWALD, Dillingham, & Wong - AUTOMATED DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM [ADCS INC} linked to: Perfect Wave Tech - Group W Advisors - AKAMAI TECH [MIT] - WTC 9/11 Commission Report.

Follows up to Hawaii Legislature members, Hawaii Judge Martin Pence family connections [Rewald Case], Hawaii Labor Unions; Hawaiian History.....follow up article links:

ck it out! ninja cats [Private Non-Profits for Massive Diverted Public Subsidized Profits!]:

Lydia Hemmings, wife of state Sen. Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai), has been indicted on charges of stealing funds from a charity she headed in 2005.

She is accused of stealing money from Blueprint for Change, a nonprofit dedicated to improving child welfare in Hawai'i, in May, August and October of 2005.

The indictment said each count of second-degree theft wasn't discovered until May 2006.

Speaking for his wife, Fred Hemmings said financial issues at Blueprint for Change "were gone over completely several years ago and were resolved after two audits."

"I'm very perplexed that this has happened now," he said of the criminal charges.

"Indictments like this don't just come out of the blue without somebody going to the attorney general's office and complaining," Hemmings said.

Lydia Hemmings is in the process of finding an attorney to defend herself, the senator said.

Blueprint for Change operates a statewide network of "family strengthening centers" called Neighborhood Places, according to information filed with the state.

The walk-in facilities provide assistance to people who are at risk for child abuse and neglect.

Lydia Hemmings was executive director through 2006, receiving an annual salary of $52,538, according to the nonprofit organization's tax return for that year.

The organization received $1.4 million in government grants in 2006. That figure dropped to about $1 million in 2007, the last year for which tax returns are available.

According to a charitable organization registration filed with the attorney general's office, Blueprint for Change received $930,000 in contributions in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, and spent $854,682 on program services.

Gov. Lingle will pick the next chief justice unless
the people alter the Constitution

Gov. Linda Lingle says she wants the next chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court to be a hard-working legal scholar who will not legislate from the bench.

Candidates would not be favored if they were prosecutors, "but it wouldn't hurt their chances, either," the Republican governor said in a recent interview with the Star-Bulletin.

Although Attorney General Mark Bennett has been mentioned in legal circles as a top contender, the governor said it is too early to mention any names.

But in explaining the qualities she would like to see in judges, Lingle made clear that she believes they should interpret laws and leave legislation to elected officials.

Her remarks suggest that her appointment of the state's next chief justice could be monumental for the five-member high court. Known for a long tradition of rendering "activist" decisions, the court has been hailed by civil rights advocates but criticized by others as going beyond reviewing and applying the laws.

Lingle's appointment would be the first time that a Republican governor would name a chief justice in more than 40 years. Democratic Gov. John Burns appointed William Richardson in 1966, and Democratic governors appointed the next two: Herman Lum and the current chief justice, Ronald Moon.

The only way Lingle would be prevented from making the appointment is if state lawmakers place on this fall's ballot -- and voters approve -- a proposed constitutional amendment to lift the mandatory retirement for judges who turn 70.

Unless the state Constitution is amended, Moon must retire when he turns 70 on Sept. 4, 2010, about three months before Lingle's term expires.

The state Senate approved a controversial measure last week that raises the mandatory retirement age to 80, and sent the proposal to the state House. But key senators acknowledge that it will be difficult for the amendment to pass because voters rejected a similar proposal in 2006 that eliminated the mandatory retirement provision. Voters rejected the amendment by 80,000 votes, 58 percent to 35 percent.

"It's an uphill battle," said Sen. Brian Taniguchi, Senate judiciary chairman. "I'm not going to die if the bill dies."

Senate President Colleen Hanabusa agreed with the prognosis. "I'm not sure it will make it out of the Legislature because we just put it on the ballot," she said.

Taniguchi maintained that he views the proposal as a civil rights issue against age discrimination and a "compromise" by retaining the retirement age but raising it to 80.

Opponents, including Lingle, contend the measure is aimed at preventing her from naming the next chief justice.

Bennett and City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle, who opposed the 2006 proposal, submitted testimony in opposition to the current measure before Taniguchi's committee last month.

The proposal's supporters include the Hawaii Government Employees Association and the Japanese American Citizens League.

Republican Sen. Fred Hemmings, who voted against the measure last week, said in an interview that the proposal was "petty politics at its worst."

"I think they (Democrats) will try to do whatever they can to put it on the ballot," he said.

Taniguchi said he believes Moon is doing an "all-right job," but said the motivation behind the measure is not to keep him as chief justice. The senator noted that Moon was a Republican before he got to the bench.

The speculation that Bennett will be Lingle's choice has been fueled by his role as a trusted adviser to the governor. In addition, his was one of three names Lingle submitted to the White House for a lifetime tenure as a U.S. district judge here. In 2005, President Bush chose Michael Seabright, now a federal judge, from the list.

The speculation prompted Taniguchi to ask Bennett at last month's hearing about the chief justice's job.

In an interview, Bennett gave the same answer he gave to the senator: If the job somehow opened up now, he would not apply for it.

"My plans right now are, when I'm done as attorney general, to return to private practice and/or teach," he said. "But I would not even begin to speculate about what my feelings might be in two years."

Lingle's appointment would be subject to Senate approval. The Democratic-dominated Senate has rejected some of her appointments, including Ted Hong to the Circuit Court and Randal Lee to the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

But if Lingle gets the names for Moon's replacement early in 2010 and her appointment is rejected, she would be able to name another person from a list of four to six names submitted by the Judicial Selection Commission.

If the Senate rejects all of her choices, the commission would chose the chief justice from its list, according to the state Constitution. The commission's selection would not be subject to Senate approval.

Hanabusa said "it's almost positive" that Bennett will be appointed by the governor. She said one of the criticisms is that he is sometimes almost "overzealous" in representing the administration over the legislative and judicial branches. Hanabusa cited his efforts against the mandatory retirement amendment that was placed before the voters by the Legislature in 2006.

Hemmings, however, said he is a "big fan" of Bennett and applauded him for his work with prosecutors and police in pushing for legislation. "It's hard to deny his success and record," Hemmings said.

Another name mentioned is Mark Recktenwald, a former assistant U.S. attorney who was Lingle's director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs before the governor named him chief judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals last year.

Hanabusa said Recktenwald is considered a good administrator and would have support, but indicated senators might wait to see how he does as the chief appeals court judge.

Recktenwald said he has been chief judge for only about 10 months and is focused on doing a good job. "I haven't given consideration to anything else," he said.

Lingle's appointment would oversee a Hawaii Supreme Court whose history includes expanding the public's rights to beaches and surface waters; recognizing the rights of native Hawaiians go onto private property for traditional religious and food gathering practices; and striking down laws the court believed infringed on the rights of criminal defendants.

In its landmark and highly controversial case, the high court issued a 1993 decision that paved the way for same-sex marriages in Hawaii. That ruling prompted state lawmakers to complain that the court was creating new law, and it led to a constitutional amendment that essentially negated the ruling.

"I continue to try to reflect what the public would like to see in a judiciary, and that is a judiciary that really interprets the laws that elected people pass rather than try to make law as a judge from the bench," Lingle said.

Lingle notes that unlike the three previous Democratic governors, she is not a lawyer who might be familiar with judicial candidates. She suggests that helps bring a fresh prospective to her judicial appointments.

Because her appointments are for 10-year terms, the judges Lingle has selected -- and will select -- will remain on the bench for years after she leaves office.

Lingle said she wants her legacy to be that the courts will be a place where people "get a fair shake."

"I think the very highest achievement you can have for a judiciary is that the average citizen of a state or of a country will get fair treatment no matter who they are," she said.

The Judicial Selection Commission reviews and evaluates applications for all judicial vacancies, and vote, by secret ballot, to select qualified nominees. Established by a 1978 state constitutional amendment, the Commission is governed by the Judicial Selection Commission Rules.

The names of the nominees are then forwarded to the appropriate appointing authority. The governor is the appointing authority to nominate judges of the Supreme Court, Intermediate Court of Appeals, and Circuit Court for an initial ten-year term. The governor selects appointees from a list of not less than four and not more than six names submitted by the Judicial Selection Commission. The commission submits a list of at least six names to the chief justice who nominates judges for district and district family court to six-year terms. All nominations are subject to confirmation by the state senate.

The Commission also determines whether a justice or judge shall be retained in office. The Commission publicizes the fact that a justice or judge is seeking retention so that all persons who might have an interest in the matter be informed of the opportunity to comment.

Comments about justices and judges seeking appointment or retention should be submitted to:

Contact Information:
Judicial Selection Commission
417 South King Street
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813-2902
Telephone: (808) 538-5200

The Commission is composed of nine members, no more than four of whom may be lawyers. The members, who serve staggered six-year terms, are selected or elected as follows:

Chairperson
Rosemary T. Fazio	Chairperson
Philip Hellreich	Vice-Chairperson
Shelton G.W. Jim On	Secretary

Member	Term	Appointing/Electing Authority
Susan Ichinose	04/02/07 - 04/01/13	(Bar)
Frederick Okumura	04/02/07 - 04/01/13	(CJ)
Melvin I.Chiba	04/02/02 - 04/01/08	(Senate)
Rosemary T. Fazio	04/02/03 - 04/01/09	(Bar)
Thomas Fujikawa	04/02/03 - 04/01/09	(House)
Philip Hellreich	04/02/03 - 04/01/09	(Governor)
Shelton G.W. Jim On	04/02/05 - 04/01/11	(Governor)
Ralph R. LaFountaine	04/02/05 - 04/01/11	(House)
Sheri N. Sakamoto	04/02/05 - 04/01/11	(Senate)
Frederick T. Okumura	04/02/07 - 04/01/13	(CJ)

The Judicial Accountability Initiative Law, J.A.I.L., is a single-issue national grassroots organization designed to end the rampant and pervasive judicial corruption in the legal system of the United States. J.A.I.L. recognizes this can be achieved only through making the Judicial Branch of government answerable and accountable to an entity other than itself. At this time it isn't, resulting in the judiciary's arbitrary abuse of the doctrine of judicial immunity, leaving the People without recourse when their inherent rights are violated by judges.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

Senator Fred Hemmings has again gone off the deep end in his zeal to protect the honor of his Governor and the titular head of his Republican party. In his most recent diatribe he strays from mere expanded hyperbole and inflammatory embellishment to the telling of outright lies and widely exaggerated distortions of the truth.

Until I called him on it this morning the opening paragraph of his mostly incoherent rant accused me of:

"...standing on the pier on Kaua‘i yelling into a megaphone as surfers and kayakers in the ocean dangerously and illegally blocked the Superferry. Nearby, other demonstrators were pounding on passengers' vehicles and letting the air out of tires.” Wrote Senator Hemmings

Hemmings at my request has since removed the above paragraph but the rest of the written piece is still rife with fantasy, misinformation and a complete fabrication of events that just did not happen – interspersed with jargon direct from the “talking points” put out by the Hawaii Superferry, DOT and Governor’s office.

Remember, this Senator Hemmings is the same fellow who fancies himself as an icon of the Hawaii surfing world. And is the same Senator Hemmings who recently called for the use of force by armed National Guard troops against Kauai surfers, canoe paddlers and swimmers who voiced their objections to the Hawaii Superferry. If he would take a moment to talk to his former surfing and paddling buddies on Kauai, before he sicks the National Guard troops on them, perhaps he might better understand where they are coming from on this issue.

Additional Note added 9/10/07: Hemmings piece was significantly re-written and edited a second time, which improved things somewhat but it still contains significant misleading and inaccurate statements.

That is exactly why the surfing community doesn't trust him or like him.
Wonder if Randy Rarick wants the National Guard to rough up some surfers?

Members of the Surfrider Foundation have known his true stripes for years. I don't think he sees that asking the Governor to use armed National Guard members is over the top. We do!

Subject: RE: *****SPAM***** CV05-00030 - OUST vs. Harmon - Exhibit: "Harmon's Letters to the IRS"

"Please remove Senator Hemmings from your contact list. We receive too many emails from you and it clogs up his inbox. Please confirm that you received this email and removed him. Thank you.

Burch; Kevin S.C. Chang; Ken Conklin... Subject: *****SPAM***** CV05-00030 - OUST vs. Harmon - Exhibit: "Harmon's Letters to the IRS"

This mail is probably spam. The original message has been attached along with this report, so you can recognize or block similar unwanted mail in future.

Dear Ms. Beitia: Again, in anticipation of the fact that my website, "The Catbird Seat," hosted by Yahoo! Small Business Hosting, may be closed down by Order of the Honorable Judge David Ezra, I am in the process of converting all of my court documents presently on this website into pdf format for filing in the PACER electronic filing system. [...]

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience; however, I am addressing these e-mails to the State's addresses for "All Senators" and "All Representatives." I do not know how to delete any particular senator or representative from the list.

I am hoping that this case will be finally closed sometime in the near future, so that these e-mails will no longer be necessary - it has been going on for over 10 years now. Perhaps the good Senator could launch an investigation into this matter - it would be greatly appreciated.

Members of the Economic Momentum Commission prepared to join public meetings at locations all over the state Tuesday.

The University of Hawaii Interactive Technology System, developed for distance learning, was configured to link 10 simultaneous meetings on six islands to get feedback and questions from citizens.

The bipartisan commission, appointed by Gov. Linda Lingle, was charged with thinking of ideas for perpetuating the state's 10-year economic expansion and recently announced 40 ideas. Since then it has been inviting feedback, especially on which ideas should get priority....

It was a sad exchange between Sen. Clayton Hee and myself on closing day of the Legislature (Star-Bulletin, May 6). I know I hit pretty hard politically, but I hope my utterances are in the bounds of fair and honorable debate. I don't think the racism and Hee's remarks about Punahou, Outrigger and my ethnic heritage were anything other than racist.

It really is upsetting for me as I have written before about my feelings for Hawaii: I have stood on Mauna Kea and felt the coldness of the snow goddess Poliahu chill my soul. My heart has beat like a ancient chanting drum while running across the scorched lava fields of Kau.

From the crest of Haleakala I have felt the warm rays of the dawning sun as they caress these islands.

Sleeping alone in a cave in Papalaua Valley on Molokai, I have heard the night wind whisper of ancient Hawaii.

Fear has seized my being as I screamed across the face of a 20-foot wave at Makaha. I have shared the joy and exhilaration of riding waves with my brothers and sisters Eddie, Buffalo, Rell and so many more.

Every fiber of my being is of Hawaii. My mother's forebears were citizens of the kingdom of Hawaii. Though my koko is not of the ancient people, my heart certainly is. I love this Hawaii as much as any human can.

How dare Clayton Hee insult the people of Hawaii with his self-righteous racism.

HERE 'N' THERE: David Farmer, executive director of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, is back from a New York/San Francisco trip, where he saw "The Lion King," "Proof," "Mountain Language/Ashes to Ashes" and "The Seagull.",,, Farmer shook hands with Tom Selleck at the stage door of "A Thousand Clowns," too ...

OUT 'N' ABOUT: Fred Hemmings, of Nick's Fishmarket and the state Legislature, is back from New York City, where he attended a reunion for ABC-TV's "Wide World of Sports." The gathering included Peter Jennings, Jim McKay and Bill Fleming, and honored Roone Arledge, a TV legend. Hemmings was a surf commentator in the 1960s ...

Nick's Fishmarket g.m. Ben Dowling has been "looking after" KHON-2 anchor Joe Moore for decades, so it was somewhat fun to meet Moore's late-night news producer, Brandon Foth, who made his first Nick's visit with Debbie Goldberg, a visiting New Yorker. Goldberg even wound up swing-dancing in the Society of Seven Las Vegas show on another night at the Outrigger Waikiki...

Hawaii’s rampant crystal methamphetamine (ice) use and its devastating effects on the local community are examined in “ICE: Hawaii’s Crystal Meth Epidemic.”

The show, directed by award-winning filmmaker Edgy Lee and produced by Jeffrey Mueller, reveals riveting stories of ice addicts, children of addicts, and foster parents who care for newborns of women addicted to ice. The film details how ice affects the community at large and how it is linked directly to an increase in violent crime; child, elder, and spousal abuse; theft; rising insurance and retail rates, as well as social services and medical costs; and human costs that transcend dollar amounts.

Lee and Mueller believe that education about the drug through these projects is a critical step – but only the start of a long road ahead – in eradicating ice in Hawaii. "With one of the highest rates of ice use in the nation, Hawaii is in a state of crisis," said Mueller. "This film will raise awareness about the problem and hopefully lead to increased efforts by the whole community to address this issue.”

Led by Lt. Governor Aiona, the administration is using the film to launch a statewide informational program. The impact of “ICE” and “ICE 2” (a version of the film that will address youth) will be further extended through community outreach programs and by making the films available to schools, libraries, community groups, agencies, and organizations.

A fundraising event is presently in planning stages, where “ICE 2” will be premiered for those attending. Production support is needed for both films and for educational and community outreach. The Pacific Arts Foundation (TPAF) is asking for contributions, which are tax deductible and may be made by contacting William Lum, TPAF Treasurer, at (808) 585-9005.

The Pacific Arts Foundation would like to thank the sponsors whose generous donations made this project possible.

ALI`I
The Waikoloa Foundation
McDonald's Corp. (en route)
Betty & Theodore G.M. Jung

MAJOR IN-KIND DONATIONS
Network Media Inc. & Peter Gellatly
Sprint
The Limtiaco Company
Signature Theatres
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning
Zippy's
Larry Heim Honblue JetGraphics
Linda Ching
Fisher Printing

AND

Camp Mokuleia
Ruth O. Oshiro
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Isobe
Grace & George Lee
James Harrow
Kehaunani Shayler
Sen. Fred Hemmings
Friends of Sen. Donna Mercado Kim
Sen. Russell Kokubun
Friends of Sen. Willie Espero
Sen. Carol Fukunaga
Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland
Sen. Roz Baker
Sen. Ron Menor
Friends of Rep. Marcus Oshiro
Duke Bainum Foundation
Carlson Communications
Dolores Foley
Rob Hail
Paula Morath, in Memory of John

PRESIDENTIAL leftovers: President and Mrs. Nixon were made honorary members of the Outrigger Canoe Club Saturday. OCC President Tommy Thomas presented the cards to Julie and David Eisenhower when they visited the club and were taken surfing by Fred Hemmings Jr. (Jan 9, 1969) ... As far as Zulu is concerned, Mayor Frank Fasi has a lot of pull with him. It began when Zulu dislocated a finger at the recent wheelchair basketball game and fellow celebrity team member Fasi immediately diagnosed the problem and said, "There's just one thing to do." He gave a forceful yank on the finger, Zulu gave out a forceful yell and the kapakahi finger snapped back into place. At a hospital later, a doctor told the singer that whoever snapped it back did a good job. "You won't believe who it was," mused Zulu, who proceeded to send a bouquet of flowers to the mayor, addressing them to "Dr. Frank Fasi." (June 13, 1973) ...

A mysterious lawyer with a checkered past comes to Hawaii from the mainland and wins a dramatic fraud suit against the powerful silver-haired Mayor of Honolulu, threatening his anticipated bid for re-election.

Then the lawyer, who smuggles Bibles into China in his spare time, gets an anonymous death threat. Was it from the Mayor?

A few weeks later, a man the police say was hired to kill the lawyer undergoes a religious conversion before the hit and says another lawyer offered him $50,000 for the murder in a dispute unrelated to the one with the Mayor.

If this sounds like an improbable script for ''Hawaii Five-O'' or ''Magnum, P.I.,'' it's not. It's happening in Hawaii, and has clouded the future of Honolulu's wily Mayor, Frank F. Fasi.

It all began with a project to build 1,500 middle-income homes on 269 acres of pineapple fields near here in central Oahu. Mayor Fasi promoted the plan as an effort to ease one of Hawaii's chief problems, the shortage of affordable housing on this extremely costly island.

The city spent nearly half a million dollars for engineering studies and for advertisements promoting the project in 1986 before the plan was rejected by the State Land Use Commission, which has restrictions on developing agricultural land.

Enter the mainland lawyer, Martin Wolff. On behalf of a private nonprofit group called Hawaii's Thousand Friends, which is concerned about losing prime agricultural land, Mr. Wolff brought a civil suit charging that the housing project amounted to a fraud against the city treasury.

In his arguments, he pointed to an ad in The Honolulu Advertiser on April 9, 1986, as an example of the fraudulent nature of the project. It promised ''A Home of Your Own'' and proclaimed that ''an impossible dream is about to come true.'' Mr. Wolff said the advertisement was ''all puffery - nothing to do with reality,'' and he contended that the developers never intended to build the housing.

Three months ago, the lawyer convinced a jury in State Circuit Court here that the project, called Waiola Estates, was merely an effort to gain publicity for and thus promote the gubernatorial ambitions of one of Mayor Fasi's associates, D. G. (Andy) Anderson, the former Managing Director of the city. The jury ordered the Mayor, Mr. Anderson and Alvin K. H. Pang, the former city housing director, to repay the city $483,000.

The case has stunned Honolulu's political establishment and touched off a series of complex events, including an effort by Mr. Wolff to impeach Mr. Fasi. The fraud case has encouraged a wide range of challengers to his expected bid for a fifth term next year.

Mr. Fasi has been an extraordinary phenomenon in Honolulu, part La Guardia, part Napoleon, loved or loathed. The 67-year-old Mayor, a native of East Hartford, Conn., settled in Hawaii after World War II and was elected Mayor of Honolulu, as a Democrat, in 1968. He lost a re-election bid in 1980, switched parties, and won again in 1984.

He won acclaim in an earlier term for buying buses and setting up a city bus line when the private bus company was immoblized by a strike. But city employees still resent the day several years ago when he bulldozed an unsightly lot near City Hall where they parked and had it landscaped one weekend before anybody could stop him.

In March 1977, he was indicted for bribery over a condominium project, but the main witness, the developer, refused to testify against him.

The mention of Waiola Estates and Mr. Wolff ruffles Mr. Fasi's smooth feathers. ''This guy came in here to become well known by attacking somebody in high office,'' he said. His only purpose for Waiola Estates, the Mayor added, was to provide affordable housing to hard-pressed residents.

''I don't know how he did it,'' Mr. Fasi said.'' ''He convinced the jury that we never intended to build the houses. That's absolutely ridiculous. We still have not given up on building. It is unbelievable he won, but we're going to appeal.''

For his part, Mr. Wolff, who is 39 and wears a crew-cut, has called the Mayor ''a blemish'' on the Republican Party and vows to see him out of office. He said he had decided that Mr. Fasi ''thumbed his nose'' at the law when convenient.

Mr. Wolff, who describes himself as an ''international lawyer,'' specializes in bringing malpractice suits against other lawyers. It was that habit, not his fight with the Mayor, that may have led to the death threat against him.

Last month, the Honolulu police arrested another lawyer, Leonard Appell, whom Mr. Wolff was suing for malpractice, and charged him with hiring a man to murder Mr. Wolff. Mr. Wolff says the man underwent a religious conversion and called to say, ''I cannot kill you.''

Trouble seems to find Martin Wolff like pigeons find bread crumbs. A few years ago, when he was in the former American trust territory in the South Pacific now called the Republic of Palau, working for the national Congress, he said his car was firebombed.

Before moving to Hawaii about two years ago, Mr. Wolff, a Rochester native, spent eight years in Templeton, Calif., a town near San Luis Obispo. Court records there show that Mr. Wolff was involved in numerous local disputes. He was the defendant in 13 civil suits and the plaintiff in 15 others between 1977 and 1984, and he often assailed public officials.

He says his divorce from his first wife four years ago precipitated a religious conversion and he became a missionary of a fundamentalist sect, the First Assembly of God. He ships Bibles to Tonga, Palau and China, he said.

But Frank Fasi is a chief concern of his now. After the fraud verdict, he filed impeachment charges and, although they were dismissed, he said he would try again if Mr. Fasi seeks re-election.

''If the man has any common sense left and decides to retire with a modicum of dignity, I'll allow that to happen,'' Mr. Wolff said. ''As a card-carrying conservative Republican, I feel duty bound to clean house.''

Democrats have seized on the case. Marilyn Bornhorst, a City Council member planning a mayoral race, said: ''Fasi says the laws don't count because he is doing affordable housing. I'm for government by law, not by men.''

But others, like State Representative Fred Hemmings, a Republican, have defended the Mayor, saying the case was politically motivated.

Whatever the motivation, there is considerable surprise at the Mayor's predicament. ''The Mayor's guilty of a lot of things,'' said the editor in chief of The Advertiser, Buck Buchwach, ''but everybody was surprised at the verdict. Nobody expected in a million years, he'd be hooked.''