STAND. COM. REP. NO. 885

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1635

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1635 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GRAND JURIES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to shorten the period grand juries and grand jury counsel must serve from one year to six months, to require grand jury counsel to be present at grand jury proceedings, and to require grand jury counsel to advise the grand jury whenever the counsel determines it to be appropriate.

 

     Your Committee finds that the grand jury process is a vital component to the criminal justice system.  It is one of the steps by which the criminal charges are brought forth into the criminal justice system.  It is important that there be continued scrutiny of this very important step of the process.  This bill will provide some revisions to the grand jury process.

 

     There was no testimony presented at the hearing.

 

     Your Committee amended the bill by changing the effective date to July, 2059.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1635, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1635, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair