Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 617 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the Judicial Council to convene a task force to review Hawaii's criminal charging procedures and recommend legislative amendments.

The Office of the Public Defender and American Civil Liberties Union testified in support of this measure. The Office of the Attorney General, City and County of Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, and Honolulu Police Department testified against this measure. The Judiciary provided comments.

Your Committee finds that this task force would enable the Legislature to examine what would be the "best practices" for the State of Hawaii. It would also be instrumental in the implementation of the information charging process, which was approved by the voters in the 2002 general election.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 617 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.