Hawaiʻi State Judiciary judges and staff gathered at the Waiʻanae Public Library to assist individuals with bench warrant and penal summons recalls related to traffic and petty misdemeanor cases. The event, held on a Saturday afternoon, saw the processing of 46 ex-parte motions prepared by the Office of the Public Defender. These motions were assigned new hearing dates for those seeking assistance.
The clinic also facilitated expungement processes for criminal arrest records, with volunteer attorneys helping 72 people initiate these proceedings. Overall, more than 100 individuals attended this first-of-its-kind clinic on September 28.
"People were lined up when the doors opened," stated First Circuit Deputy Chief Judge Melanie May, who organized the event alongside Deputy Chief Court Administrator Michelle Acosta. "We expected those living on the west side of Oʻahu, but people came from all over the island. Those who took advantage of the services offered were tremendously appreciative."
Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald expressed his gratitude: "My deepest gratitude to Judge May for continuing to seek ways to enable access to justice for our community and for recognizing the challenges facing individuals with outstanding District Court bench warrants." He also thanked several volunteers including Judge Michelle Comeau, Judge Tracy Fukui, Deputy Administrative Director of the Courts Daylin-Rose Heather, Evelyne Luk, Robert Soto, Estrella Gazmen, John Hausler, and Rochelle Leonard.
Recktenwald acknowledged that "this community service event would not have been possible without" various organizations such as "the Office of the Public Defender, the Hawaiʻi Criminal Justice Data Center, William S. Richardson School of Law, Hawaiʻi Workers Center, ACLU Hawaii, Project e4," Volunteer Legal Services Hawaiʻi," and their host "the Waiʻanae Public Library."