A few weeks ago, Eric Thompson was found guilty of the murder of Waipahu acupuncturist Jon Tokuhara. At the heart of this case is a deeply personal and emotionally charged love triangle involving a husband, his wife, and her acupuncturist—a situation that while tragic, has fueled public intrigue far beyond the legal facts.

Before diving into the details and my particularly HOT TAKE on this case, I want to share a quick story that left me contemplating the lines between professionalism and human emotion.  Trust me, this all links back to my central point on the Eric Thompson love triangle.

A Professional’s Dilemma

Several months ago, I bailed out a young woman held at HPD on felony charges. When I first saw her, she was disheveled and visibly exhausted from two days in custody without a shower or access to a mirror. I didn’t think twice about it and made no judgments—after all, I was just doing my job and have previously bailed out people in far worse condition. But a week later at court, a stunning woman said hello to me, and I didn’t recognize her at all; when she greeted me, I was genuinely caught off guard.

She reminded me that I had bailed her out, and it clicked; she's my client! I complimented her and moved on, focused on my purpose in court. A few days later, she sent me this text message.

As much as I wanted to respond, I didn’t. The rules of professionalism are clear. I’m not allowed to date clients. Even though the code of ethics for bail agents is relatively relaxed, the unspoken rule among my peers—mostly attorneys and other legal professionals—is clear; you cannot date your clients. 

Or perhaps after her case has concluded, I reassess and holla?! 🤣 

The Power Dynamics of Attraction

I had to wonder—was my client truly interested in me, or just grateful after days in a cold cell, seeing me as a knight in shinning armor?

This brings me to a broader question of professionalism: what’s a bigger breach—

A doctor sleeping with a patient?

An attorney sleeping with a client?

A coach sleeping with an athlete?

While all are ethically amoral, I believe the doctor’s case is the most serious.

A physician holds immense power—not only through access to confidential personal and medical information, but also through the inherent trust placed in them by patients who are often vulnerable or in distress. This creates a profound imbalance of power, where genuine consent becomes murky and the risk of exploitation is high. It’s not just unprofessional—it cause for license revocation in many states. 

The Law of the Jungle vs. The Laws of Man

This ties back to the Eric Thompson case, which at its core, was a love triangle. In ancient times, before courtrooms and constitutions, there were simpler rules—the laws of the jungle. Kill or be killed. Take or be taken. Those rules still linger, influencing our darkest impulses.

The Ten Commandments took infidelity so seriously that it warned us twice—once against adultery and again against coveting another man's wife—underscoring the deep disruption that follows when those sacred boundaries are broken. 

Despite specializing in fertility treatment—a field that demands the highest level of professional boundaries—Mr. Tokuhara engaged in sexual relationships with three different patients, a fact confirmed and uncontested in open court. Yet, during his time running the clinic, there was no apparent accountability, ethical review, or oversight from the licensing board, his clientele, or even the media. It's hard to grasp how such clear violations were overlooked—an honest reckoning might have prevented a tragic ending.

Had that professional boundary been respected, Mr. Tokuhara would likely still be alive today. And while it's possible that Mr. Thompson acted as one of many jilted lovers who took justice into their own hands, no verdict or sentence can undo the loss of life. At the same time, if Mr. Thompson is in fact the person responsible, it’s important to recognize that he does not pose a general threat to the community.

If anything, the danger he represented was specific—toward medical professionals who crossed ethical lines by engaging in a sexual relationship with his wife; its clear and factually correct upon review of his criminal history.

A Closer Look at the Evidence

Now, let’s examine the evidence against Eric Thompson. Contrary to how legacy media might portray it, the case was anything but open and shut. In fact, I’ve got it on good authority that the jury was split 6-6 at the end of the first day of deliberation (jail mail coconut wireless detail right there). A deadlock, despite weeks of testimony and two trials.

The evidence? Circumstantial at best:

• No murder weapon.

• No fingerprints.

• A bucket hat that allegedly couldn’t exclude Thompson—but couldn’t exclude thousands of others either.

The prosecution's argument relied on things like a “similar walking style” and a “similar truck.” None of this proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If this were a civil case, where the standard is a preponderance of evidence, maybe. But not in a criminal case where someone’s freedom is on the line.

The Crime of Passion or a Miscarriage of Justice?

If Eric Thompson did commit the crime, one detail stands out—the use of his own truck. For a man of his intelligence, this seems like a glaring oversight. Either it was a crime of passion, devoid of premeditation, or it wasn’t him at all.

As someone who has bailed out clients based on mistaken identity, I can’t ignore the reasonable doubt here. I’ve seen men nearly railroaded by circumstantial evidence and hasty assumptions.

Living by the Laws of the Jungle

The tragedy of this case is that nothing will bring Jon Tokuhara back. Imprisoning Eric Thompson doesn’t make the public any safer; it only serves the human desire for retribution. But retribution, like all emotions born from the laws of the jungle, is a temporary balm. It doesn’t heal the underlying wounds.

When we abandon the laws of man, the word of God (the ten commandments), and the ethics of professionalism—we invite the laws of the jungle back into our lives. The Waipahu Love Triangle case is a cautionary tale of what happens when those lines blur.

Final Thoughts Poll

Stay ethical friends,

-Got Bail Nick