Stan Masui, 30, who has been head of the Public Defender's office on the Big Island for the past two years, will resign on Dec. 15 to become the top man in the career criminal program under the prosecutor's office.

Masui made his announcement official this morning when he told the court he would have to withdraw as attorney for Ned Kapika Jr., 18, of Hilo, who is charged with the murder of Ron Krus, a United Airlines employee.

Masui also said the Public Defender's office had to withdraw from the case because another of its clients may be a material witness at the Kapika trial.

Circuit Judge Ernest Kubota said he would assign Hilo attorney Herbert Kushi to represent Kapika and a trial would be scheduled for March.

The state-financed program for fighting career criminals is to be launched Dec. 18 under Masui's direction. Masui said no information he has obtained from clients while working as a public defender will be used in his new job with the prosecutor's office.

Masui also told the Tribune-Herald that Gail Nakatani, formerly of Hilo, will become the head of the Public Defender's office on the Big Island. She is the first woman to hold that post here.

Nakatani, a graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Seattle, has been working for the Public Defender's office in Honolulu and has criminal trial experience, Masui said.

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