HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0842.002 2008-2010 655 Kilauea Avenue
JAY T. KIMURA HILO, HAWAI'I 96720
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY : t . ° • f At . PH: 961 - 0466
° . FAX: 961 - 8908
CHARLENE Y. IBOSHI ; r ' �ti + 934 - 3403
• FIRST DEPUTY +C 1,::1• ir.r • a : t • 934 - 3503 •
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY : WEST HAWAII UNIT
° a, 81 -980 HALEKI'I ST, SUITE 150
`' �''8T4r of N t • KEALAKEKUA , HAWAI'1 96750
�•_• PH: 322 -2552
FAX: 322 -6584
OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
MEMORANDUM ='>
To: Chairman Dennis Onishi ry
Finance Committee
•
From: Jay e ura
Pro - ,ting Attorney
Date: June 21, 2010
Re: Communication 842
Resolution 353 -10
I am writing in support of Communication 842 and Resolution 353 -10 regarding the
relocation of the North Hawaii Prosecutors' Office to an adjacent space.
This Office established the North Hawaii Office in the early 1990's to handle the growing
caseload in the South Kohala, North Kohala and Hamakua District Courts. Deputy
Prosecuting Attorney Janet Garcia was our sole employee and she worked out of the
South Kohala Hawaii Police Department Substation. This substation is adjacent to the
South Kohala District Court.
The various District Courts in the North Hawaii Office covered traffic /criminal matters
and Family Court cases. All felony defendants who were arrested and charged had their
initial appearance and preliminary hearings in the South Kohala District Court. Judges
were sent from Hilo or Kona District Courts.
In early 2000 we were asked to vacate the South Kohala Police Sub Station because the
Hawaii Police Department needed the space for their personnel. The Office was
relocated across the street next to the Feed Store to remain close to the South Kohala
District Court.
The South Kohala District Court continues to be the busiest Court and now meets once to
twice a week for both traffic /criminal and Family Court matters. The Hamakua District
Court meets twice a month and the North Kohala District Court once a month.
Comet, OW. _ •
Hawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Ref. T P C
Ref. Date, JUN 2 22 1
On December 19, 2008 Chief Justice Ronald Moon appointed Melvin H. Fujino as a full
time District Judge for the South Kohala District Court. The addition of a full time
District Judge and staff and the potential for additional per diem District Court judges
raises the potential for even more Court calendars to cover.
The current North Hawaii Prosecutors Office is barely adequate for the current caseload
in the area and inadequate for any future expansion. There are no adequate County
facilities that can be used. The construction of a County facility in the South Kohala
Civic Center is at least a decade away if not longer.
Currently we have one attorney and one secretary assigned to the North Hawaii Office.
We also have attorneys from the Hilo and Kona offices covering the North Hawaii Courts
as necessary. We have one victim /witness counselor from Hilo covering cases in the
North Hawaii area with backup from the Kona Office as necessary. Administratively, we
have our Kona Office Supervising Attorney managing the North Hawaii Office because
the Hawaii Police Department specialized units, such as the Criminal Investigation
Section, covers the South and North Kohala districts.
The current office consists of a small lobby, clerical area, a pass through office with
partial walls and a small rear interview /storage /break area. The staff uses the public
restrooms. Staff from the Hilo /Kona offices will use the rear multiple purpose space or
whatever space is available for legal work, interviewing victims and witness and other
office business. The office walls do not go all the way to the ceiling because there is no
central air - conditioning. This creates privacy issues and difficulty for victims in talking
about their victimization.
The original planning for the North Hawaii Office started with the Kim administration
and was originally planned for the Parker Ranch Center. Since then we have downsized
our request and hope to take advantage of the space available and favorable rental rates.
The proposed new space will improve the services for law enforcement in the North
Hawaii area and is consistent with the growth patterns for the area. This move will also
vastly improve the services to victims and I recommend that this resolution be approved.
Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer