Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2387 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of the bill is to change the penalty for desecration for a misdemeanor to a class C felony.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from a concerned individual. The Office of the Public Defender submitted testimony in opposition.

Your Committee finds that recent vandalism at cemeteries denotes that the current financial penalties of a misdemeanor offense for desecration are an insufficient deterrent. However, your Committee finds that raising the offense to the level of a class "C" felony is too severe.

Your Committee has therefore amended the bill by raising the fine to $5,000, while leaving the length of imprisonment the same.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2387, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2387, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.