Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

Hawaii Senate Bill SR183 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	THE SENATE S.R. NO. 183 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE RESOLUTION requesting the judiciary to urge COURTS to prioritize victim AND WITNESS rights to speedy trials.
2	2
3	3	THE SENATE S.R. NO. 183
4	4	THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
5	5	STATE OF HAWAII
6	6
7	7	THE SENATE
8	8
9	9	S.R. NO.
10	10
11	11	183
12	12
13	13	THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
14	14
15	15
16	16
17	17	STATE OF HAWAII
18	18
19	19
20	20
21	21
22	22
23	23
24	24
25	25
26	26
27	27
28	28
29	29	SENATE RESOLUTION
30	30
31	31
32	32
33	33
34	34
35	35	requesting the judiciary to urge COURTS to prioritize victim AND WITNESS rights to speedy trials.
36	36
37	37
38	38
39	39
40	40
41	41	WHEREAS, victims of sexual offenses may endure harmful effects from court proceedings that require victims to relive their trauma, including depression, emotional distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and WHEREAS, young victims are particularly vulnerable to developing disorders as a result of participating in court proceedings; and WHEREAS, to address these effects, many states have passed "speedy trial" statutes to minimize the length of the proceedings; and WHEREAS, Hawaii remains one of the few states that lack a "speedy trial" statute for victims; and WHEREAS, the Family Court, District Court and Circuit Court have discretion in considering a motion to postpone or continue a proceeding; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Judiciary is requested to urge the Family Court, District Court, and Circuit Court to prioritize victim and witness rights to speedy trials, including consideration of any substantial adverse impact that postponement poses to a victim or witness, in the consideration of a motion to postpone or continue a proceeding involving offenses charged under part V of chapter 707, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judiciary is requested to urge the Circuit Court to minimize a minor's involvement in a proceeding for a criminal offense against a minor or any other criminal proceeding involving a minor victim or minor witness of any physical abuse. In deciding whether to grant a continuance, the Judiciary is requested to urge the court to take into consideration the age of the minor and the potential adverse impact that the delay may have on the minor's well-being, to allow no more than three continuances by either party, unless good cause is shown, and to commence a trial within twelve months of the charge or indictment, unless good cause is shown; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Judiciary. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Judiciary; Victims; Witnesses; Right to Speedy Trial
42	42
43	43	WHEREAS, victims of sexual offenses may endure harmful effects from court proceedings that require victims to relive their trauma, including depression, emotional distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and
44	44
45	45
46	46
47	47	WHEREAS, young victims are particularly vulnerable to developing disorders as a result of participating in court proceedings; and
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	WHEREAS, to address these effects, many states have passed "speedy trial" statutes to minimize the length of the proceedings; and
52	52
53	53
54	54
55	55	WHEREAS, Hawaii remains one of the few states that lack a "speedy trial" statute for victims; and
56	56
57	57
58	58
59	59	WHEREAS, the Family Court, District Court and Circuit Court have discretion in considering a motion to postpone or continue a proceeding; now, therefore,
60	60
61	61
62	62
63	63	BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Judiciary is requested to urge the Family Court, District Court, and Circuit Court to prioritize victim and witness rights to speedy trials, including consideration of any substantial adverse impact that postponement poses to a victim or witness, in the consideration of a motion to postpone or continue a proceeding involving offenses charged under part V of chapter 707, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and
64	64
65	65
66	66
67	67	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judiciary is requested to urge the Circuit Court to minimize a minor's involvement in a proceeding for a criminal offense against a minor or any other criminal proceeding involving a minor victim or minor witness of any physical abuse. In deciding whether to grant a continuance, the Judiciary is requested to urge the court to take into consideration the age of the minor and the potential adverse impact that the delay may have on the minor's well-being, to allow no more than three continuances by either party, unless good cause is shown, and to commence a trial within twelve months of the charge or indictment, unless good cause is shown; and
68	68
69	69
70	70
71	71	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Judiciary.
72	72
73	73
74	74
75	75
76	76
77	77
78	78
79	79	OFFERED BY: _____________________________
80	80
81	81
82	82
83	83	OFFERED BY:
84	84
85	85	_____________________________
86	86
87	87
88	88
89	89
90	90
91	91
92	92
93	93
94	94
95	95
96	96
97	97	Report Title:
98	98
99	99	Judiciary; Victims; Witnesses; Right to Speedy Trial