SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo has vacated the bench trial of Rep. Vicente Camacho scheduled for July 17 — not July 19 as earlier reported — relating to a domestic violence incident.
Camacho, 61, and co-defendant Teipo Nikiti, 21, are accused of assaulting Steven Koch.
Each defendant was charged with assault and battery, and disturbing the peace — charges that were considered as misdemeanors.
At the pre-trial conference on Thursday, Nikiti did not appear. He was represented by Assistant Public Defender Emily Thomsen who informed the court that her client was on Guam escorting his mother who was under medical referral. They might leave Guam and head to the mainland U.S. for more treatment, she added as she asked the court to vacate the bench trial set for July 17, 2023.
At the hearing, Camacho was represented by attorney Michael A. White while the government was represented by Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds.
Hinds provided an update regarding the status of the victim’s illness and told the court that the prosecution was moving forward with the trial.
After hearing from the parties, Judge Govendo vacated the bench trial set for July 17 at 9 a.m., but scheduled a status conference for the same day.
The judge also ordered an update on the status of Teipo Nikiti’s mother’s medical referral and added that the court will hear Vincent Camacho’s request for a speedy trial.
Camacho was arrested by the Department of Public Safety on the evening of Nov. 2, 2021, but he immediately posted $1,250 cash bail and has remained out of custody. In 2022, he sought re-election as a Precinct 3 House member and won.
The victim, Koch, suffered abrasions, bruising, and pain on his head and body from the blows and was taken to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation for examination.
The incident stemmed from a long-standing animosity between Koch and his brother-in-law, Ignacio Salas Concepcion, who is Camacho’s friend.
Police said the assault took place near the homes of Koch and Concepcion on Freedom Drive, Chinatown around 11 p.m. on Oct. 29, 2021.
Vicente Camacho
