STAND. COM. REP. NO.  210-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1647

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1647 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISTRICT JUDGES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to increase the number of district court judges in the Second Judicial Circuit for Maui county from three to four.

 

     The Second Judicial Circuit has had three district court judges since 1982.  Since then the population of Maui County has more than doubled and in recent years, Maui has had the fastest growth rate of all of the counties.

 

     Maui's population increase resulted in increased caseloads for district court judges who handle traffic cases, criminal cases of misdemeanor or lesser grades, small claims, civil cases, search warrants, temporary restraining orders, protective orders, weekend review of probable cause matters, and the specialty courts, including mental health, veterans', and environmental courts.  Currently, the court can convene in Molokai only twice a month and in Hana and Lanai only once a month.  An additional judge is needed to address the caseload of growing and underserved communities and enable the judges to attend to their judicial duties.


 

     The Judiciary and Maui County Prosecuting Attorney testified in support of this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1647 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair