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Hawaii Supreme Court ruling results in dismissal of 730 criminal cases
KITV: … "All of the charges that we have right now that have been brought via information have either been dismissed already or are about to be dismissed," Kau said. "One was a sexual assault, one was abuse of a family or household member. We have an assault case coming up -- the hearing is going to be scheduled for some time next month."
The Honolulu prosecutor's office tells KITV4: "...approximately 730 misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor cases have been dismissed under the State v. Thompson ruling." ….
The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) has made changes in the wake of the ruling.
HPD told KITV4 in a statement: "Shortly after the court decision, HPD added a declaration that is now automatically attached to all police reports. HPD is also working with prosecutors to review past cases and to complete declarations for the cases that will be refiled."
Most of the cases are being dismissed without prejudice, which means prosecutors can refile all those cases. However, the Honolulu prosecutor's office says it is refiling cases as appropriate….
(Translation: Hundreds will walk free.)
HNN: Judge reduces bail for Hawaii Island child porn suspect
read … Digging deeper into the Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that's resulted in the dismissal of hundreds of cases
After being closed due to the pandemic, state Capitol to reopen to the public
HNN: … For the first time in two years, the Hawaii State Capitol is reopening to the public.
The Capitol has been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic and will be open once again on Monday.
Photo ID and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours will be needed to enter the building.
House and Senate standing committees said it will accept written, in-person, and remote testimony via Zoom….
read … After being closed due to the pandemic, state Capitol to reopen to the public…
Hawaii Senate Bills Would Earmark Nearly $1 Billion For Housing Projects
CB: … The Hawaii House and Senate are expected to vote on those measures next week.
Senate Bill 3359 and House Bill 2511 would give the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands $600 million to build homes in an effort to reduce the size of a waitlist of Hawaiian beneficiaries that has swelled to more than 28,000 applicants over the last several decades.
On Thursday, senators also voted to advance Senate Bill 2372, which would set aside $300 million to help in the construction of 1,744 new units across Hawaii’s four counties. That measure would also create a pilot program run by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. to aid home buyers earning below 120% area median income. On Oahu, a family of four earning about $127,000 would meet that threshold.
Tax collections have been better than expected, and may leave lawmakers with more than $1 billion more to spend this year than previously anticipated….
SA: $600 million investment plan for Hawaiian homesteads advances
read … Hawaii Senate Bills Would Earmark Nearly $1 Billion For Housing Projects
Construction Defects on DHHL Projects
PP: … Hawaii hired a developer to build homes to deliver on a century-old promise of reparations to Native Hawaiians. But the state didn’t inspect construction. Homeowners said they’ve had water damage, air conditioning breakdowns and other issues ….
Home inspections emerged as a major issue in the mid-1990s after a number of legal settlements with beneficiaries who sued DHHL over allegations of shoddy construction.
In one case, the agency paid out $1.5 million to settle claims involving a 50-home development in Panaewa, located on the Big Island’s eastern shoreline. Homeowners alleged they were given substandard septic tanks, defective concrete foundations and keys that opened multiple houses….
the Star-Advertiser and ProPublica reached out to the occupants of the roughly 500 developer-built homes in the two newest homestead communities in Kapolei. Over the course of several months, the news organizations sent mailers and emails, made phone calls, knocked on over 100 doors, advertised on social media, spoke at a homeowner meeting and published a questionnaire on the websites for both media outlets. Seventy-eight people responded, including 53 who reported two or more problems or concerns with their residences. The majority of those raising multiple issues were from Kanehili, the older of the two subdivisions. The issues ranged from simply cosmetic — hairline cracks in the ceiling, for instance — to more serious, such as mold growing inside the home or flooring damaged by sewage backups….
MN: Homeowners receive $9.25M in construction defects suit
read … These Native Hawaiians Waited Years for Homes on Their Ancestral Land. Then the Problems Began.
Hawaii GOP chair believes local Republicans must challenge entrenched Democrats
SA: … Absolute power corrupts absolutely. In 2022, Hawaii Democrats control everything and can make any decision they please without any checks or balances because of so few Republicans in office to act as a counterweight to their agenda. Those in power are emboldened to take chances because they don’t think they will get caught or be challenged.
People bribe Democrats in office because this is the culture of corruption that one-party politics brings. If you want to play, you have to pay. I recently visited a restaurant owner who told me how he did not want to “pay” so he does not have a liquor license. Others have said that it is just what you do.
Democrats here aren’t a party, they are the government itself, in whole. We need to elect Republicans so we can restore checks and balances and break up the Democratic monopoly….
read … Hawaii GOP chair believes local Republicans must challenge entrenched Democrats
Hawaii medical marijuana dispensaries soon can sell gummies, brownies
MJBD: …Hawaii is poised to expand medical marijuana dispensaries’ product offerings with the addition of popular edibles such as gummies and brownies.
The pivot comes under newly released industry interim rules from the Hawaii health department, which announced in a news release it had updated a range of regulations, including: Permitting the sale of new edibles products, including “gummies, hard molded confections made primarily from sugar or syrup, chocolates, cookies, brownies, honey, beverages, powdered beverage mixes or beverage additives, syrup beverage mixes or beverage additives.”…
SA: New rules for medical cannabis broaden Hawaii’s edible menu
Background: DoH Revises Admin Rules for Marijuana and Hemp
read … Hawaii medical marijuana dispensaries soon can sell gummies, brownies
Tourists Evacuate After Drugged-out Homeless Zombies Torch Hotel
HNN: … Firefighters are investigating a blaze that broke out early Friday at the former Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel early Friday.
Crews received the call around 1:40 a.m., and four units staffed with 21 personnel responded.
“At the moment, it’s looking like squatters that had been here had potentially started fires, potentially it was an unintentional fire that spread to the rest of the structure,” said Hawaii County Fire Chief Kazu Todd. “But at this time, it’s still under investigation, so we’re not 100% sure.”
Todd said the four-story building is abandoned and had been unused for a while, but a lot of rubbish had built up over the years….
An unknown number of guests from one of the wings at the Naniloa Hotel evacuated as a precaution....
HTH: Fire causes $2 million in damage to shuttered Hilo hotel
read … Fire breaks out at Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel
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