Former tour bus driver Steve Oshiro lost a bid to withdraw a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced this afternoon to up to 20 years in prison for manslaughter in the June 2006 death of motorist Corey Voss.

Oshiro pleaded no contest to the charge in January as part of a deal with prosecutors in which he will serve no more than 10 years in prison.

Oshiro, 50, drove his Roberts tour bus across the center line of Kamehameha Highway in Kahalu'u and smashed head-on into a sport utility vehicle driven by Voss, 41, of Kane'ohe.

After changing defense lawyers in June, Oshiro asked to withdraw from the deal and also filed suit against Roberts Hawaii, alleging that company officials forced him drive the bus after he complained that he was too ill to drive.

His new lawyer, Michael Green, argued this afternoon to Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario that a section of the plea agreement, requiring that Oshiro be held in prison without bail if he backed out of the plea bargain, is unconstitutionally "punitive."

City Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle argued that Oshiro was fully informed about the terms of the agreement and was trying to renege because he and family members decided they didn't like the sentence Oshiro faced.

Carlisle also said the motion to withdraw the plea was part of the "change-the-lawyer game (that) is played by defendants far too often" to try to delay resolution of criminal cases.

Under the terms of the plea bargain, Oshiro can still withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial if the Hawaii Paroling Authority determines that he must serve more than 10 years behind bars before being paroled.

Green said outside court he will appeal Del Rosario's ruling.