Paia woman fined for breaking public health rules

WAILUKU — A Paia woman was ordered to pay a $250 fine after she was arrested in August for violating public health emergency rules by having Mainland students stay at her yoga school, a deputy prosecutor said.

The fine was imposed Friday on Naciye Toraman, 51, after she pleaded no contest to a Maui County Code violation for being in a park after dark.

She was allowed to plead to the violation instead of a misdemeanor charge of violating the mayor’s emergency rules, in keeping with the prosecutor’s office policy in addressing quarantine violation cases, said Deputy Prosecutor Carson Tani.

He said Toraman allowed the Mainland residents to quarantine at her yoga school by living on the property while taking classes. Under rules at the time, the visitors should have been in quarantine at a hotel or motel, Tani said.

“I don’t think this issue will come up again because there’s different rules for quarantining now,” Tani said. He noted that the violation occurred before a COVID-19 testing program was in place to allow trans-Pacific visitors to avoid a 14-day quarantine.

Toraman’s attorney, Napoleon Taylor, said rules “changed so quickly it was very difficult to keep up.”

“It was an innocent mistake, which will not be repeated,” he said.

Toraman said she wouldn’t do it again.

Second Circuit Judge Rhonda Loo followed a plea agreement between the defense and prosecution in ordering Toraman to pay the $250 fine.

“I know the rules are changing all the time, but I think all of us really need to pay attention,” Loo said. “It’s interesting that you’re pleading to the park in the dark. It should be home in the wrong zone.”