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Memo to Casey Jarman <br /> 01/03/07 <br /> Page 2 <br /> <br /> It is my opinion, however, that if Bi11258 Draft 6 were challenged in court as <br /> <br /> unconstitutionally vague, the County would have a very defendable position. In fact I <br /> <br /> would go so faz to say that I believe it is highly unlikely that this ordinance would be <br /> struck down as vague for several reasons. <br /> First, and most importantly, the use of the words "reasonable" and the absence of an <br /> express definition of the word "reasonable" in this particulaz ordinance is not <br /> constitutionally fatal because the term has a definite, widely-understood meaning, a <br /> settled usage and a tradition of interpretation in law. In State v. Guzman, 89 Haw. 27 <br /> (1998), the Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld ananti-picketing statute stating that the <br /> term "unreasonably interfere with" required no guessing at its meaning as these were <br /> words of common understanding. <br /> In State v. Kanela, 82 Haw. 381 (1996), the Intermediate Court of Appeals rejected a <br /> vagueness challenge to an Abuse of a Family/Household Member law that stated a police <br /> officer could take a course of action, "where the officer has reasonable grounds to believe <br /> that there was recent physical abuse." Defendant challenged the use of the term <br /> "reasonable grounds," arguing that the statute vested "virtually unbridled discretion upon <br /> responding police officers and trial court judges in enforcing the statute." The Court <br /> stated "the reasonable grounds" standazd is an objective standard requiring a trial court to <br /> independently assess the facts and circumstances presented to responding officers. <br /> The use of the term "unreasonable" is used throughout the Hawaii Revised Statutes. The <br /> following statutes provide a few examples: <br /> Section 342-F -Noise Pollution: "Excessive noise" means the <br /> presence of sound as measured by standard testing devises as <br /> established by rule...of a volume or in quantities and for durations <br /> which endangers human health, welfare or safety, animal life, or <br /> property or which unreasonably interferes with the comfortable <br /> enjoyment of life and property... <br /> Section 378 -71: "Stalking" means engaging in a course of conduct <br /> directed at a specifically targeted person that would cause a <br /> reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress or to fear <br /> bodily injury, etc.. <br /> Section 134: No person shall store a keep any firearm if the person <br /> knows or reasonably should know that a minor is likely to gain <br /> access to the firearm...unless the person: Keeps the firearm in a <br /> securely locked box or other container or in a location that a <br /> reasonable person would believe to be secure... <br /> Serving the Interests of the People afOur Island <br /> Nawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer <br /> <br />