Ewa District Court Judge Michael Marr convicted former House candidate Michael Golojuch Jr. on fourth degree theft charges on Nov. 8, 2005, after he was caught on film last year stealing the campaign signs of his mother’s opponent, Rep. Mark Moses, R-Kapolei, and then admitted to destroying the signs.
The Honolulu City Prosecutor pursued a case against Golojuch Jr. earlier this year, after Moses filed a report with Honolulu Police in 2004 noting the incident with Golojuch Jr. was the second in two years. His mother Carolyn Golojuch, who ran as a Democrat, was challenging Moses in the general election. Golojuch Jr. previously challenged Moses in 2002.
Rather than accept a plea that would have allowed him to get a deferred acceptance and have his record wiped clean in 6 months, Golojuch Jr. demanded in court that Marr tell the prosecutors to drop the charges against him and initiate a case against Moses for allegedly abandoning his political signs.
Hawaii Reporter in 2004 reported that Golojuch Jr. was "Caught in the Act" and "Caught in the Act - Part 2" when he took the signs -- an accusation he never denied -- particularly because Moses had the entire episode on film.
The defense Golojuch offered the judge was that he had a right to take the signs because they were on public property -- even though Moses was just steps away with his son waving in traditional Hawaii campaign style to passersby. Golojuch claimed he was merely cleaning up his district of rubbish. But when the city prosecutor asked him if he’d picked up any other "rubbish" such as cigarette butts or litter, Golojuch Jr. said no.
In 2004, Moses told Hawaii Reporter that he asked Golojuch Jr. to give the campaign signs back, but he refused and put them in his car, laughed, and drove off. Moses filed a police report about the incident as he had in 2002, but said Golojuch Jr. had "taunted" him about taking the signs in the past and had "gone unpunished for the brazen acts."
He could have faced up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine, but after an apology to Moses, the judge ordered him to pay a $200 fine and make a $70 contribution to the Friends of Mark Moses campaign fund so Moses could have new signs made. He also will have the criminal conviction permanently on his record.
Golojuch Jr., who was represented by local attorney Eric Seitz, also claimed that Moses pursued charges against him because the Golojuch family has a controversial history in Hawaii. The mother and son team promotes gay, transsexual and lesbian rights to the detriment of other groups, opponents say. They are members of the anti-God Hawaii Coalition for the Separation of State and Church and they have fought to have Christian symbols removed from public places.
Moses denied the charges, saying he pursued a case against Golojuch Jr. because "he’s a thief."
Here are the photos provided to the judge and prosecutor where Golojuch Jr. takes Moses' signs and drives off, all while Moses is standing right there:
Reach Malia Zimmerman, editor and president of Hawaii Reporter, via email at mailto:Malia@hawaiireporter.com
