THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

91

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE THE BACKLOG IN UNSERVED ARREST WARRANTS.

 

WHEREAS, the State has an estimated backlog of 76,881 arrest warrants that remain unserved; and

WHEREAS, this backlog includes traffic, felony, and misdemeanor warrants; and

WHEREAS, the unserved arrest warrants are costing the State a potential of $20,000,000 in unpaid fines and fees; and

WHEREAS, the considerable number of unserved warrants also creates a public safety concern; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature acknowledges that there are many factors that contribute to the backlog in unserved arrest warrants; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature seeks to find a permanent solution to this problem and to clear up the current backlog and ensure that in the future, arrest warrants are served in a timely manner; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the House of Representatives concurring, that a task force be convened to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire backlog of unserved arrest warrants and recommend to the Legislature action necessary to permanently alleviate the backlog; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be comprised of the following members:

(1) The Attorney General, or the Attorney General's designee;

(2) The Administrative Director of the Courts, or the Director's designee;

(3) A member from the Department of Public Safety's Sheriff Division;

(4) The Director of Public Safety, or the Director's designee;

(5) A member from each county's prosecuting attorney's office;

(6) An attorney from the Office of the Public Defender; and

(7) The chief of police from each county's police department or the chief's designee;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee shall serve as the chairperson and facilitator for organizational purposes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall:

(1) Determine the number of outstanding traffic warrants;

(2) Determine the number of outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants;

(3) Determine a comprehensive plan to permanently alleviate the problem of a backlog in unserved arrest warrants, with a comprehensive plan to go beyond only fiscal and budgetary discussions or solutions;

(4) Prepare proposed legislation; and

(5) Engage in any other activities necessary to carry out the intent of this Concurrent Resolution;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Attorney General, the Administrative Director of the Courts, the State Sheriff Division, the Director of Public Safety, each County's prosecuting attorney's office, the Office of the Public Defender, and each County's police department.

Report Title:

Unserved arrest warrants; backlog