HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            65
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO
   LOOK AT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF THE
   CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ON OAHU AND IDENTIFY GAPS.

 1       WHEREAS, domestic violence is among the most critical
 2   issues impacting the lives of women and girls today, affecting
 3   their health and economic viability, and endangering their
 4   lives and often the lives of their children; and
 5   
 6       WHEREAS, the majority of women murdered in Hawaii are
 7   killed by their partners or boyfriends; and
 8   
 9       WHEREAS, H.B. No. 590 (1999) addresses the problem of
10   domestic violence and sexual assault-related deaths by
11   establishing a protocol for the development and implementation
12   of Adult Death Review Teams to review any adult domestic
13   violence and sexual assault-related deaths; and
14   
15       WHEREAS, domestic violence service providers, the law
16   enforcement community, and the Attorney General support the
17   concept of Adult Death Review Teams, but do not agree that
18   Adult Death Review Teams are the most appropriate means to
19   reduce the incidence of domestic violence-related homicides and
20   suicides; and
21   
22       WHEREAS, these groups have agreed that the primary purpose
23   behind an Adult Death Review Team is to identify gaps in the
24   system, including critical and missing information, which would
25   effectively focus Hawaii's law enforcement and service efforts
26   to better meet the victim's needs in establishing a safety net;
27   and
28   
29       WHEREAS, these groups have also acknowledged the need to
30   have a better understanding of the exact path a victim or
31   perpetrator takes through each of the agencies or programs;
32   now, therefore,
33   
34       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
35   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
36   of 1999, the Senate concurring, that the Attorney General is
37   requested to convene a working group to review the policies and
38   procedures of the criminal justice system on Oahu as they
39   relate to cases of domestic violence, identifying gaps and
40   areas in the law requiring change or further attention; and

 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            65
                                                        H.D. 1
                                                        

 
 1       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group include but
 2   not be limited to the following participants:
 3   
 4       (1)  Domestic violence services providers;
 5   
 6       (2)  The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence;
 7   
 8       (3)  A representative from the Department of Public Safety;
 9   
10       (4)  A representative from the county police departments;
11   
12       (5)  A representative from the county prosecuting attorney
13            offices;
14   
15       (6)  One representative each from the Family Court,
16            District Court, and Circuit Court;
17   
18       (7)  A representative from the Hawaii Paroling Authority;
19            and
20   
21       (8)  One representative from the Adult Probation Division
22            of the Judiciary; and
23   
24       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Attorney General submit the
25   findings and recommendations of the working group to the
26   Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of
27   the Regular Session of 2000; and
28   
29       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
30   Resolution be transmitted to the Attorney General, the
31   Executive Directors of the Hawaii State Coalition Against
32   Domestic Violence and the Hawaii State Commission on the Status
33   of Women, the Director of Public Safety, the Prosecuting
34   Attorney of each county, the Chiefs of Police of each county,
35   and the Chief Justice.