AP

In court documents, Wright alleged that the heiress’ wife, Veronica Gail Worth, physically abused her. However, Kawananakoa’s attorney said in court papers the abuse claims are false and that Kawananakoa fell and “struck furniture, which caused the bruising, which is not uncommon at someone her age.”

The judge in September appointed a special master — a lawyer not involved in the case — to independently investigate her mental capacity and the abuse allegations. Lawyers for Kawananakoa and Worth requested that the abuse allegations not be part of the special master’s probe because they’re untrue.

AP

Judge Robert Browning denied the request, saying that the allegations are relevant to the case. Browning also denied The Associated Press’ request to use a digital recorder during the hearing for note-taking purposes, but allowed Honolulu news station Hawaii News Now to film the proceeding.

Kawananakoa entered the courtroom with the help of a wheelchair and a white Chihuahua sat on her lap during Thursday’s hearing. “I can’t talk about the case but I have a lot to say,” she said, as she was wheeled into a courthouse elevator.

Thoughts on this or any other story? Write a Letter to the Editor. Send to news@civilbeat.org and put Letter in the subject line. 200 words max. You need to use your name and city and include a contact phone for verification purposes. And you can still comment on stories on our Facebook page.