HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	166
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting a study of the creation of a fourth circuit court to be located at the kapolei court complex.

     WHEREAS, according to The State of Hawaii Data Book 2006, approximately 876,156 persons resided on the island of Oahu in 2000, which represents approximately seventy per cent of the State's entire population; and

     WHEREAS, all residents of Oahu are served by the first judicial circuit, which includes twenty-five Circuit Court judges; and

     WHEREAS, although each neighbor island county has a much smaller population than Oahu, each county comprises an additional, separate judicial circuit:  the county of Maui, with 128,241 residents, comprises the second judicial circuit with four Circuit Court judges; the county of Hawaii, with 148,677 residents, comprises the third judicial circuit with four Circuit Court judges; and the county of Kauai, with 58,463 residents, comprises the fifth judicial circuit with two Circuit Court judges; and

     WHEREAS, in contrast, the 366,984 residents of Leeward Oahu, Central Oahu, and the North Shore area of Oahu do not have a dedicated judicial circuit; and

     WHEREAS, according to fiscal year 2005-2006 court statistics, the first judicial circuit had 5,128 of the statewide total of 10,446 bench trials, which is almost as many as the other three judicial circuits combined; and

     WHEREAS, during that same period, nearly sixty‑five per cent of the three hundred twelve jury trials demanded statewide were committed to the first judicial circuit; and

     WHEREAS, a new Judiciary complex in Kapolei has been funded by the Legislature through Act 110, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, and Act 169, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007; and

     WHEREAS, Kapolei is designated under city planning as the "second city" of Oahu; and

     WHEREAS, locating a new Judiciary complex in Kapolei conforms with this designation and implements an intent to provide a full range of Circuit Court services in closer proximity to residents of Leeward Oahu, Central Oahu, and the North Shore area of Oahu; and

     WHEREAS, the construction of the Kapolei Court Complex presents an opportunity to establish a new judicial circuit to serve residents of that area; now, therefore; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the Judiciary is requested to conduct a study to identify the funding, personnel, equipment, and supplies needed to create a fourth judicial circuit to be located at the Kapolei Court Complex to serve the residents of the Waialua, Wahiawa, Waianae, and Ewa districts as identified under section 4-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judiciary is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Justice and the Chief Clerk of the Hawaii Supreme Court, and the Administrative Director of the Courts.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Kapolei Court Complex; Fourth Judicial Circuit; Establishment