Courts

Ben Lowenthal: Hawaii Just Won’t Give Up Its Harsh Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Ben Lowenthal: Hawaii Just Won’t Give Up Its Harsh Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws

Police can seize property without a court process if they suspect it is connected to a crime or poses a danger.

Campaign Contributions Or Bribes In Disguise? Closing Arguments Begin In Kaneshiro Bribery Trial Civil Beat Staff/Civil Beat/2024

Campaign Contributions Or Bribes In Disguise? Closing Arguments Begin In Kaneshiro Bribery Trial

Prosecutors tried to convince jurors money given to Keith Kaneshiro’s campaign was part of a conspiracy to bribe the former Honolulu prosecutor, but defense attorneys maintain it was legal.

John Hill: A Lawsuit Against The Child Protection System Digs Up Troubling Facts Cory Lum/Civil Beat

John Hill: A Lawsuit Against The Child Protection System Digs Up Troubling Facts

In the absence of legislative oversight, litigation is one of the few ways to find out what went wrong.

The Miske Trial: Witnesses Describe Bank Transactions Ian Lind photo/2021

The Miske Trial: Witnesses Describe Bank Transactions

“Structuring” can be evidence of a racketeering conspiracy, the first and overarching charge against Mike Miske.

Ex-Honolulu Investigator Tells Jury He Swore To Facts In Theft Case He Had ‘No Idea’ About  David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Ex-Honolulu Investigator Tells Jury He Swore To Facts In Theft Case He Had ‘No Idea’ About 

Five people associated with a local engineering firm are accused of bribing former prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro to pursue a bogus theft case.

The Miske Trial: Testimony Ties Mike Miske To A Robbery Gone Bad In Which A Young Man Died Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

The Miske Trial: Testimony Ties Mike Miske To A Robbery Gone Bad In Which A Young Man Died

The organized crime trial continues with witnesses laying out the defendant’s involvement in specific criminal cases.

Officials Mistakenly Locked This Man In A Psych Ward, Then Argued He Was Not Sane Enough To Sue David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Officials Mistakenly Locked This Man In A Psych Ward, Then Argued He Was Not Sane Enough To Sue

Joshua Spriestersbach sued the state after he was held in the Hawaii State Hospital for more than two years under the wrong name, only to face new questions about his sanity.

Death Of Foster Child Leads To $750,000 Settlement Pending Approval By Legislature Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Death Of Foster Child Leads To $750,000 Settlement Pending Approval By Legislature

The caregivers said the child was injured after falling from a 3-foot bench while playing a video game.

Discrimination Suit Against Kauai Police Chief Dismissed, Captain Forced To Retire Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Discrimination Suit Against Kauai Police Chief Dismissed, Captain Forced To Retire

Chief Todd Raybuck was suspended for creating a hostile work environment but an investigation found his hiring practices had been fair.

If Electronic Monitoring Is Going To Expand In Hawaii, There Needs To Be Better Public Data Provided: Sentinel Offender Services

If Electronic Monitoring Is Going To Expand In Hawaii, There Needs To Be Better Public Data

We don’t know much about how electronic monitoring operates in the state and the raw numbers are only part of the story.