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Hawaii Man Wears Blackface to Court for His Sentencing In Road Rage Incident

By | Published on July 2, 2019
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A Honolulu man convicted of stabbing three people in a road rage incident came to court in blackface Monday to protest the handling of his case.

Mark Char, 60, read a nearly three-minute-long statement taking aim at his lawyer and Judge Todd Eddins during what was supposed to be a routine sentencing hearing, according to Hawaii News Now.

“And today the reason why I’m like this is because I’ve prepared myself to play my part in your kangaroo court,” Char said. “[You’re] treating me like a black man, so today I’m going to be a black man.”

A law enforcement official told reporters that Char seems to have used a black permanent marker to darken his face.

Char has said that he was defending himself when he attacked three people with a knife and pepper spray on an Oahu freeway in August 2016, according to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 

He called his court-appointed attorney “incompetent” and said the attorney only took 19 days on his case. Char also said Judge Eddins didn’t give him a fair trial.

“Now this kangaroo court is trying to give me a life sentence for me trying to protect and defend myself against the attack from three guys ― in essence, treating me like a black man,” Char said in his statement.

A jury convicted Char in March, and Eddins sentenced Char to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

“This continues a pattern of disruptive behavior designed to undermine the administration of justice,” Eddins said during court proceedings.

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