Habitual offender gets 1-month prison term for domestic violence
Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio yesterday slapped a one-month prison term against habitual offender David Desebel Kapileo for beating up his wife.
Kapileo, 47, pleaded guilty to the offense of assault and battery. In return, assistant attorney general Matthew Baisley, counsel for the government, agreed to dismiss the remaining charge of disturbing the peace.
Kim-Tenorio accepted Kapileo’s guilty plea and granted Baisley’s motion to dismiss.
Kim-Tenorio sentenced the defendant to one-year imprisonment, all suspended except one month.
Kapileo was given credit for nine days of time served. After serving the prison term, he will be placed on probation for one year.
Kapileo was ordered to undergo and complete alcohol abuse and anger management course, and pay a $100 in probation fee and $25 in court assessment fee.
According to the factual basis of the plea agreement, on March 23, 2016 on Saipan, Kapileo threatened to beat up his wife, then grabbed her by her face/mouth with his hand. He then squeezed her face/mouth, causing her to be afraid and to experience pain.
Assistant public defender Michael Sato served as counsel for Kapileo.
On Monday, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho dismissed a case that charged Kapileo with criminal mischief for allegedly damaging a woman’s case.
Camacho dismissed the case after AAG Baisley and defendant’s counsel, Sato, stipulated to the dismissal of the case.
Last Aug. 11, Camacho found as too lenient the Office of the Attorney General’s plea deal that recommends a 19-day prison term against Kapileo in the criminal mischief case. The judge rejected the plea agreement.
Camacho noted, among other things, that Kapileo has been arrested several times since being released on the murder conviction.
Kapileo fatally shot his mother with a gun at their house in Garapan in December1992, according to court records.
So this guy keeps getting released, a true example of the “catch and release” program practiced by this Judicial system headed by the AG’s of prosecution and the Judges lack of meaningful sentencing.
BUT as far as the AG office goes could much pf this be the fault of the cop shop and it’s lack of ability to gather meaningful untainted evidence?
Besides what seems to be the lack of interest and experience within the AG office the lack of evidence from DPS to bring forth a meaningful prosecution may be a large contributing factor in the large number of dismissed cases.
The lack of meaningful sentences and a release of these career criminals back onto the streets may be another factor and added frustration to the few in DPS that actually care and have the ability to perform their jobs, thus inducing a “care less” attitude on DPS part.