The Benefits of Being Politically Connected (September 29, 2010)

By Henry Curtis




In 1991, Lydia Hemmings was convicted of five class C felonies: one count of second-degree theft and four counts of second-degree forgery.




In July, 2010, Lydia Hemmings, wife of State Senator Fred Hemmings, pled guilty to reduced charges of third-degree theft in a plea agreement. She had been accused of stealing from Blueprint for Change when she was its executive director.




Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett said: "Lydia Hemmings has prior felony convictions other than this case. An independent grand jury found probable cause to believe she committed these crimes. She signed a plea agreement that said, 'I plead guilty because I'm guilty.' She told the judge she was guilty." (Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser)




For her plea she got a $4,500 fine, 150 hours of community service, and one year probation.




Hemmings says his wife is innocent. So apparently was Senator Galen Fox, who committed and admitted to a sex crime on an interstate airplane, and had his name removed from the sex offender registry.




The Governor sheltered Representative Galen Fox's sex crime for a year before his act became public. During this time he voted on legislation dealing with crime.




Hawaii News (Inmates' insight on study: Is Justice system unfair to Native Hawaiians?, September 30, 2010) reported: "I was a drug addict," said Charmaine Heanu. ..."I sold ice. I was actually looking for a hit and saw this person who gave me drugs to sell it to another person, who was (an undercover) cop," said Heanu, who was sentenced to 10 years.




Lydia Hemmings current job decription varies:




According to West Hawaii Today, Lydia Hemmings serves as the Administrator of the Clinical Standards Office in the Department of Human Services (DHS) Med-Quest Division.




According to Civil Beat (re salaries of state workers) Lydia Hemmings is the Health Coverage Management Branch Administrator making $104,004.00 per year.

Charmaine Heanu is serving time with the State, while repeat offender Lydia Hemmings is lucratively employed by the State.




Is this justice or politics?




Henry Curtis

ililani.media@gmail.com