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Public Defender's Letter To Chief Justice
Public Defender's Letter To Chief Justice
HAYAKAWA
STATEI'UBLICDEFENDER ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDER
DEFENDER COUNCIL IIlLO OFFICE
1130 NORTil NIMITZ H!GHWAY 275 PONAHAWAI STREEr, STE201
SUITEA-254 Hll.O,HAWAI'I 96720
HONOWLU,IJ.It.WAI'I 95817 TEL.No. (808)974-4571
FAXNO. (808)974-4574
HONOLULU OFFICE
!130NORTI!N!MITZHIGHWAY Electronically Filed
KONAOFFICE
SUITE A-254 81-948WAENA 'OffiANALooP,STE 110
HONOWLU,HAWAI'I 96817 Supreme Court
KEAIAKEKUA,liAWAI'I 96750
TEL. No. (808)322-1945
APPELLATE DIVISION
TEL. No. (808) 586-2080
SCPW-20-0000200
FAXNO. (808)322-1949
STATEOFHAWAI'I
DISTRICT COURT DIVISION
24-MAR-2020
KAUAIOFFJCE
3060Ern'ASTI!EEr, STE206
TEL. No. (sos) s85-zwo OFFICE OF THE PuBLIC DEFENDER 01:04 PM
l.!i!UE,HAWAI'I%755
TEL. No. (l!Ci8)241-7128
FA.mLY COURT DIVISION FAX No. (808) 274-3422
TEL. NO. (808) 586-2300
!'ELOJI.'Y DIVISION
March 23, 2020 MAUl OFFICE
81 N. MARKET STREET
TEL. No. (808) 586-2200 WAU.UJm,HAWAI'I 96793
TEL. NO. (808) 984-5018
FACSIMILE FAXNO. (808) 984-5022
(808) 586-2222
The Office ofthe Public Defender (OPD) is writing to respectfullyrequest theHawai'i Supreme Court's
consideration of an Order designed to commute or suspend jail sentences currently being served by
inma~es in the community correctional centers across the State ofHawai'i, either as a condition of felony
probation or because of an imposed sentence received upon conviction of a misdemeanor or a petty
misdemeanor. Consideration of this measure is warranted-by the current national health crisis caused by
the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and by Governor David Y. Ige's March 16, 2020
Supplemental Emergency Proclamation which authorized and invoked the following measure:
4. Sections 127A-12 and 127A-13, HRS, and suspend as allowed by federal law the following statutes and
any related administrative rules, in order for state and county agencies to more effectively provide
emergency relief and engage in emergency management functions, including, but not limited to,
impl~menting social distancing measures. as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:
u. Sections 706-669, 706~670 and 706-670.5, HRS, disposition of convicted defendants, to the
. extent that these sections and related administrative rules prescribe time limits for matters before
the Hawaii Paroling Authority.
It is inevitable that the virus will spread into the jails and prison facilities, and, when that happens, the
health and well-being of inmates and staff members will be at tremendous risk. It is therefore incumbent
upon the criminal justice system to reduce our state jail populations to the extent" possible without
compromising public safety. This is a moral imperative as well as a legal issue.
Against this backdrop, OPD is requesting this Honorable Court to consider the following relief:
2. For inmates serving a jail sentence as a result of a district or district family court
conviction, the custodial portion of the sentence shall be suspended until the
conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic or deemed satisfied, at the discretion of
the sentencing judge, after input from counsel.
OPD's request targets two categories of sentenced incarcerated inmates. First, there are inmates serving
jail sentences (hot to exceed one year or eighteen months). as a condition of felony probation. These
inmates have release dates in the reasonably near future, and, perhaps most importantly, they will remain
under probation supervision once they are released into the community. Second, there are inmates
serving district,court sentences, having been convicted of either a misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor.
They too have release dates in the reasonably near future anyway and, of course, they have been typically
convicted of charges like criminal trespass, shoplifting, disorderly conduct, harassment, and the like. In
other words, these inmates in both categories represent low to medium risk defendants whose release in
this restricted access climate would not compromise public safety in a significant way. And, of course,
their release would promote public health.
OPD recognizes that there might be some limited exceptions to these rules; therefore, OPD proposes
allowing prosecutors to object in specific cases. OPD believes it is better to put the onus on the State to
object to release rather than forcing my attorneys (and many private attorneys) to file motion after motion
seeking new sentencing hearings. There simply is not enough time to allow these matters to be addressed
through traditional channels.
OPD is enclosing (attaching) the Consent Decree filed by the Supreme Court ofNew Jersey on March
22, 2020, which granted the relief sought by the Office of the Public Defender of the State of Jersey --
the same relief OPD is seeking from this Honorable Court.
James S. Tabe
Public Defender
Don S. Guzman
Prosecuting Attorney, County of Maui
Mitchell D. Roth
Prosecuting Attorney, County ofHawai'i
Justin F. Kollar
Prosecuting Attorney, County of Kauai
Dwight K. Nadamoto
Acting Prosecuting Attorney, City and County ofHonolulu
SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY Fl LED
DOCKET NO. 084230 MAR 22 2020
~,."'L.rt ~-
CCLERK~
.
CRIMINAL ACTION
This matter having come before the Court on the request for relief by the
·'.
Office of the Public Defender (see attache~ lette~ dated March 19, 2020),
The Court, on its own motion, having relaxed the Rules of Court to permit
the filing of the request for relief directly with the Supreme Court, based on the
impact of the nature of the request in light of the Public Health Emergency and
State of Emergency declared by the Governor. See Executive Order No. 103
(2020)(~ar.9,2020);and
The Office of the Attorney General, the County Prosecutors Association,
the Office of the Public Defend,er, the American Civil Liberties Union of New
The parties agreeing that the reduction of county jail. populations, under
COVID-19; and
consent form;
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specific conditions of release. Jails shall process the release of inmates
paragraph C, any inmate serving a county jail sentence for any reason
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probationary sentence for a fourth-degree crime, disorderly persons
of the sentencing judge, after input from counsel. Jails shall process the
objection no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 23, 2020. Where
1. The objection shall delay the order of release of the inmate and
Defender.
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3. The Office of the Public Defender shall provide provisional
4. The Office of the Public Defender shall, no later than 5:00 p.m.
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Master(s) conduct a hearing of any sort, inmates'
or the public.
D-1.
I.
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1. The Order of the judge(s) or Special
Appellate Division.
Paragraph.
Appellate Division.
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2. Should an Order requiring an inmate to
Paragraph.
2020.
remain suspended until ten days after the rescission of the Public Health
Master(s):
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1. For any inmate who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has
2. For any inmate who notifies the county jail that he or she does
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F. Where an inmate is released pursuant to Paragraphs A, B, or C(S)(a)(iii)
by the trial court shall remain in full force and effect. County jails shall
Specifically:
this Court.
4. All inmates being released from county jails shall comply with
any Federal, State, and local laws, directives, orders, rules, and
jails shall comply with Executive Order No. 107 (2020) (Mar.
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5. All inmates being released from county jails are encouraged to
of inmates.
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b. If the Attorney General, or his designee, is convinced
accelerated release.
- includes:
COVID-19;
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2. Information about the terms and conditions of release
I. Any inmate released pursuant to this Order shall receive a copy of this
Order, as well as a copy of any other Order that orders their release
sentencing court.
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3/22/2020 9:50p.m. Is/Stuart Rabner
Date Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, for the Court
The undersigned hereby consents to the form and entry of the foregoing
Order.
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