THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	224
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the judiciary to conduct family court proceedings at the kapolei court complex with the consent of the affected parties or unless one of the parties commences the family court proceeding at the kapolei court complex.

     WHEREAS, the current amount of available space in the First Judicial Circuit for its courts and programs is insufficient to meet the needs of its courts and programs; and

     WHEREAS, the lack of available space is particularly challenging during Family Court matters where emotionally charged parties in child custody and divorce proceedings are crowded into close quarters or forced to wait in a congested area outside the courtroom; and

     WHEREAS, in 2005, the Hawaii State Judiciary received the first of several appropriations to build a new court complex and juvenile detention facility in Kapolei; and

     WHEREAS, groundbreaking for the construction of the future 10.97 acre Kapolei Court Complex occurred on July 17, 2007; and

     WHEREAS, the tentative completion date for the Kapolei Court Complex is the end of 2009; and

     WHEREAS, the Kapolei Court Complex is expected to contain over one hundred thousand square feet and accommodate District, Family, and Circuit Court functions; and

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii State Judiciary has proposed that all Family Court matters be conducted at the Kapolei Court Complex; and

     WHEREAS, however, opponents of this proposal state that it is not fair for residents of areas such as Honolulu, Kakaako, Waikiki, and Waimanalo to commute to Kapolei for their Family Court proceedings; and

     WHEREAS, it is likely that the commute to the Kapolei Court Complex will have the greatest detrimental impact on low‑income Family Court parties; and

     WHEREAS, this is due, in part, to the additional transportation expenses that they will incur for themselves and their legal counsel, as well as, the logistics of getting back to work or fulfilling other commitments like picking children up from school; and

     WHEREAS, the First Judicial Circuit should provide parties with the option of conducting their Family Court proceedings at the Kapolei Court Complex or at the existing Family Court facility; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Judiciary is requested to conduct Family Court proceedings at the Kapolei Court Complex with the consent of the affected parties or unless one of the parties commences the Family Court proceeding at the Kapolei Court Complex; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Kapolei Court Complex; Family Court