Podcast #15 - City Prosecutor Candidate Steve Alm

Steve Alm is a former Judge, Prosecutor, and United States Attorney.

Born in Honolulu and raised in Manoa and Kaimuki, Mr. Alm joined the Honolulu Prosecutor's office in 1985, where he served as Director of the District and Family Court Division.  In 2001, Mr. Alm became the first career prosecutor to be appointed to the First Circuit Court in Honolulu.

A-1 Nick asks Judge Alm:

What is the future of HOPE probation in the state of Hawaii?  Are there any changes to the program, or points of improvement, you'd like to discuss for future iterations?
-Judge Alm pitches "pre-trial HOPE" a way for defendants that most likely can't qualify for cash bail, bail bond, or release on their own recognizance (OR) or supervised release (SR).   

May I know your position on a new jail to replace OCCC?
-Judge Alm pitches buying the Federal Detention Center and converting it into Honolulu's newest jail since its close to the court, away from housing developments, and several times cheaper than building a brand new jail at a projected cost of $500M+

One of A-1 Nick's most popular videos on Stolen Stuff Hawaii, a facebook community dedicated to public safety, has to do with a potential new bill which would change the chief of police position from appointed to elected.  What's your stance on that choice?
-Judge Alm does not believe the police chief should also be a politician.

This question is for my friends in law enforcement.  Law enforcement officers sometimes get frustrated with the additional pressure put on their agencies to serve an info charging or grand jury warrant that comes out weeks or months after a defendant is released pending investigation.  Do you plan on engineering any changes, so that upon arrest, defendants are charged promptly, and RPI'd less frequently?
-Judge Alm wants to improve the charging process, so less defendants are charged after being "reeased pending investigation."

All the candidates have been very civil during the debates, however, because I've watched all of them, as well as most of the interviews each candidate has given, I can "read between the lines" and decode digs on each other.  Two candidates have asserted that you're "out of touch" with the job of city -prosecutor.  How do you respond to being called "out of touch?"
-Judge Alm counters this sentiment.

What is the "weed and seed" program, and how do you think a new iteration of that program would improve public safety?
-Judge Alm explains what the program is, and how it can be implemented in China town to reduce crime.

One of the most controversial situations during this current pandemic, is the emergency release of inmates.  Pandemics are not BLACK SWAN events, they have happened and will continue to happen in the future.  Given this reality, what best practices would you advocate for to improve the treatment of inmates during a pandemic?
-Judge Alm talks about case by case reviews for releases, building new structures for social distancing, gives props to the department of public safety which 100+ days into the pandemic, still has not had a single inmate test positive for cover-19.

A master manipulator abusing their power as a prosecutor is also not a BLACK SWAN event.  What guardrails do you believe can be implemented, so that another Kathy Kealoha doesn't abuse his or her prosecutorial power?
-Mentoring prosecutors and repremanding prosecutors for wrongful acts early is key to running a successful office that maintains the public's trust.  Berger v. US is the case which explains the role of the prosecutor and how to prosecute with ethics and integrity.