Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, April 30, 2009
May 1 UPDATE: Karen's Law to be heard today
By Karen Ann Hunt @ 11:45 AM :: 11005 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment

FRIDAY May 1: DEADLINE TODAY TO PASS KAREN'S LAW OUT OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
 
            HONOLULU, Hawaii HB819, "Karen's Law," will be heard today at 11:00am in conference room 229. "Karen's Law" has passed out of both the House and the Senate and is now sitting in conference committee. A conference draft was agreed on yesterday in its third conference committee hearing. "Karen's Law" will need to pass out today in order for the bill to crossover and be voted on by a joint Senate and House Legislature. "I am happy to see "Karen's Law" come all this way. If passed, "Karen's Law" is one step in the right direction to not only update our archaic judicial system, but to put victims and victim's families first. It has been a grueling two years that my family and I have had to endure this pain. It is my hope that our elected officials continue to see the importance of getting this bill passed. We need to send a resignating message to potential crime offenders that we will no longer tolerate these heinous acts of crime," stated Malanie Mclellan, daughter of Karen Ertell. Malanie will be present at the hearing today to try and see HB819 through. 
            HB819, introduced by Representative Pine and Representative Mizuno, would have mandated that juveniles, 15-17 years of age charged with first degree, be automatically tried as an adult. As the law currently stands, juvenile crime offenders, charged with 1st or 2nd degree murder can face two trials, one to determine which court to try them in and then another trial to decide guilt or innocence. With its current amendment, HB819HD2SD2CD1 will continue to do the same. However, it will only be reflective of murder in the first degree.

**************

by Karen Ann Hunt

HONOLULU, HAWAII – HB819, "Karen's Law," will be heard today at 3:30pm in conference room 229. "Karen's Law" has passed out of both the House and the Senate and is now sitting in conference committee.

Although the bill has been heard three times, an agreement over the final draft has yet to be made. If Karen's Law does not pass out of committee today, tomorrow will be the final deadline for the bill to pass out so that it may be voted on by a joint Legislature.

"I hope Chair Taniguchi and the conferees will reach a compromise today and pass Karen's Law. It has been a long and uphill battle to try and get this bill through. My hope is that my mother, Karen Ertell, will not have died in vain and that her name will live on to protect future victims and their families," stated Melanie McLellan, daughter of Karen Ertell. Melanie will be present at the hearing in hopes that this bill will finally move from conference committee.

HB819, introduced by Representative Pine and Representative Mizuno, would have mandated that juveniles, 15-17 years of age charged with first degree, be automatically tried as an adult.

As the law currently stands, juvenile crime offenders, charged with 1st or 2nd degree murder can face two trials, one to determine which court to try them in and then another trial to decide guilt or innocence.

With its current amendment, HB819HD2SD2CD1 will continue to do the same. However, it will only be reflective of murder in the first degree.

On May 25, 2007, Karen Ertell was brutally raped and murdered in her home in Ewa Beach allegedly by her 15-year-old neighbor. Karen Ertell was the only real mother that her foster daughter, Melanie McLellan had ever known. Melanie was nine months pregnant with Karen's grandson.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT