Daily Archives: February 12, 2013

2/8/2013 Highlights:

At 8:30 A.M. before the House Health Committee and House Public Safety Committee, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tricia Nakamatsu testified with comments on HB668 that transfers departmental jurisdiction of the medical marijuana laws from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to the Department of Health and requires DPS to assist with the transfer. I testified in opposition to HB667 that amends aspects of the Medical Use of Marijuana regime: defining adequate supply, confidentiality of growing sites, certifying physician requirements, confidentiality of patient’s condition, caregiver to patient ratio, transportation of medical marijuana, qualifying visitors, and registration requirements. We had testimony in support of HB783, a Law Enforcement Coalition bill that includes law enforcement officers among persons having a direct and tangible interest in public health statistics records to facilitate their inspection and acquisition of such records for criminal investigations.

At 2:00 P.M. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tricia Nakamatsu and I met with Senate President Donna Kim to brief her on the 2013 Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Legislative Package.

At 6:00 P.M., my younger sister Lara and I treated my dad to Ruth’s Chris restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii for his birthday.

2/7/2013 Highlights:

At 10:00 A.M. before the Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tricia Nakamatsu testified in opposition to SB346 that permits a court to dispose of a juvenile case by referring the defendant to a restorative justice program when the court deems it would be in the best interest of the child and the child admits guilt. Nakamatsu also testified in opposition to SB346 that Proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to appoint judges who have retired upon attaining the age of seventy years as emeritus judges, permitting the appointed judges to serve as temporary judges in courts no higher than the court level they reached prior to retirement and for terms not to exceed three months. Victim Witness Advocate Director Dennis Dunn testified in support of SB509 that proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Hawaii guaranteeing that crime victims and their immediate surviving family members have specific rights related to information pertaining to and participation in the criminal justice process.

At 11:00 A.M. before the House Public Safety Committtee and House Transportation Committtee, I testified in support of HB1013 that includes sheriff’s vehicles in the definition of “emergency vehicle” under the requirement that motorists “move over” when passing a stationary emergency vehicle on a highway. I also testified in support of HB1308 that Adds civil defense and county emergency management vehicles to the definition of “emergency vehicle” under the move over law.

At 1:15 P.M., before the Senate Committee on Public Safety, Iintergovernmental and Military Affairs and
Senate Committee on Technology and the Arts, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tricia Nakamatsu testified in opposition to SB61 that creates procedural and administrative requirements for law enforcement agencies for eyewitness identifications of suspects in criminal investigations; and grants a defendant the right to challenge any eyewitness identification to be used at trial in a pretrial evidentiary hearing.

2/6/2013 Highlights:

At 8:30 A.M. before the House Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, I had testimony in support of the Law Enforcement Coalition’s HB1059 that requires the court to advise criminal defendants of the effects of a guilty or no contest plea on alien status.

At 8:30 A.M., Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tricia Nakamatsu and I had a meeting with Representative Angus McKelvey regarding our restitution bill.

At 10:00 A.M. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tricia Nakamatsu and I had a meeting with Senator Josh Green regarding notification for victims when offenders leave state health facilities.

At 10:30 A.M., before the House Health Committee, I testified in support of HB411 that establishes a new part in chapter 321 to ensure that victims of sexual assault are provided with medically and factually unbiased information about and access to emergency contraception when receiving emergency medical care at Hawaii’s hospitals for sexual assaults.

At 1:15 P.M. before the Senate Health Committee and Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tricia Nakamatsu testified in support of SB1109 that adds a new part to chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to ensure that victims of sexual assault are provided with medically and factually unbiased information about and access to emergency contraception when receiving emergency medical care at Hawaii’s hospitals for sexual assaults.

On 2/5/2013, at 9:30 A.M., the Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee passed the Department of the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s SB873 with a Senate Draft 1 that: Amends the definition of “debt” in section 231-52, HRS, to include court-ordered restitution subject to civil enforcement; Removes court’s authority to revoke restitution once ordered; Creates standards and procedures for income-withholding, for purposes of enforcing restitution orders; Extends victims’ access to adult probation records, to include access to payment compliance records, for purposes of enforcing restitution orders; and Requires that any bail posted by a defendant be applied toward payment of any court-ordered restitution in the same case.

At 1:30 P.M., Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tricia Nakamatsu and I had a meeting with Department of Health Adult Mental Health Division and a Deputy Attorney General regarding our victim notification bill.

At 6:00 P.M., I had dinner with my dad at Au’s Garden in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii.

On Thursay, February 8, 2013, the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee passed HB241 with a House Draft 1 that creates standards and procedures for income-withholding for purposes of enforcing restitution orders; Extends victims’ access to adult probation records for purposes of enforcing restitution orders; and applies bail court-ordered restitution case. The committee inserted a blank appropriation to fund necessary staff to implement the law. HB241 HD1 is part of the 2013 Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Legislative Package.