Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2634 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the number of judges in the second and third circuit from three to four.

The second judicial circuit has only two Circuit Court judges to serve the entire circuit, which is comprised of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Your Committee finds that in the ten years since the last judgeship was granted to the second judicial circuit, the population of this tri-island county has expanded by twenty per cent and, concomitantly, the number of court cases and their complexity have increased significantly. This situation has resulted in additional overtime work for the existing judges, with a corresponding increase in the overtime cost for court staff, and an increase in the cost of per diem judges.

Your Committee further finds that the third judicial circuit, which serves the entire county of Hawaii, will be home to the impending Drug Court. To ensure the success of the Big Island Drug Court, an additional circuit-level judge will be necessary to handle the judicial processes of the court full-time.

Your Committee notes that the funds for these additional judgeships are currently in the Judiciary's budget request, and that this measure is needed to authorize the appointments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style, clarity, and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2634, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2634, S.D. 1.