Outgoing Prosecutor Will Refile Charges, Seeks Transparency for Kaua‘i

Outgoing Kaua‘i Prosecuting Attorney Shaylene Iseri Carvalho said she will file a new criminal complaint in District Court to allow for a public preliminary hearing in the case against Janine Rapozo. Rapozo, who serves as the County Human Resources Director and previously headed the Transportation Department, was the subject of an earlier indictment that a judge dismissed after finding the grand jury vote fell one short of the required total.

The earlier indictment alleged that Rapozo "promoted or facilitated" the then mayor's alleged theft of gasoline. The former mayor, Bernard Carvalho, was referenced in that indictment but was not criminally charged. Judges also declined to move forward on a separate arrest warrant for the mayor after determining there was insufficient evidence to support it.

Judge Randal Valenciano dismissed the grand jury true bill when he concluded that only 10 of the 11 required grand jurors had voted to issue it. In announcing her plan to refile, the prosecutor characterized the mayor's public statements that she had "cleared" Rapozo as misleading, and said she will ask the court to unseal the more than 1,000 pages of documents filed with the case to promote transparency for the public.

Filing a criminal complaint in District Court would permit a preliminary hearing in open court, a procedural path the prosecutor is pursuing to place evidentiary questions before a judge and the community. The decision comes as Iseri Carvalho prepares to leave office after losing reelection, and she has said she intends to continue the matter through the transition. The case has already underscored tensions between the County administration and the Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

For Kaua‘i residents, the renewed legal effort raises immediate questions about accountability, public trust, and the operations of county government. Rapozo's current role in Human Resources places her at the center of personnel and administrative decisions, and renewed court action could affect departmental leadership and morale. Open preliminary proceedings and unsealed court records may provide residents and local media with more information about the factual basis for the office's allegations and the reasoning behind earlier judicial decisions.

The unfolding legal steps will test local institutions that maintain civic confidence, including the courts, the prosecutor's office, and county administration. As proceedings move to District Court, residents can expect greater visibility of filings and hearings, subject to courtroom rules and judicial determinations about what material ultimately becomes public. The case is likely to shape political and administrative debates on Kaua‘i well beyond the immediate legal questions.