A Palau State Governor has been sentenced to nine months imprisonment, all suspended except for 96 hours or 4 days in house arrest for conviction of family abuse.
Ngchesar State Governor Duane Hideo was initially charged with two criminal counts of Assault in the Third Degree, two counts of Abuse of a Family or Household Member and Disorderly Conduct.
By entering into a plea agreement, Hideo only pled guilty to two counts of family abuse with the remaining charges dismissed by the prosecutor.
The Court sentenced him to serve a total of nine months in prison, all suspended except for four days, which will be served under house arrest.
In addition to his house arrest, Hideo agreed to be screened at the Community Guidance Center for alcohol abuse or anger management issues.
The criminal charges reportedly stemmed from an August 2014 incident where Governor Hideo assaulted two of his family or household members in Ngchesar.
Hideo was represented by Lalii Chin Sakuma, the Republic’s Chief Public Defender while the case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Michael Todd.
