Question: I just got a summons for jury duty, assigned to District Court on Alakea Street. I live about 3 miles from the Ewa-Pearl City District Court and 13 miles from the District Court on Alakea Street. Why do I get assigned to the farther location, forcing me to deal with, and contribute to, the mess that is commute traffic between the Pearl City area and downtown? The court system mailed the summons to my home address, so they obviously know where I live. Why not assign people to courts in a manner to minimize traffic issues, not maximize them as they have chosen? I don’t mind serving on a jury. What I do mind is having to deal with that commute.
Answer: “The reason is that jury trials are held only in Honolulu at Circuit Court (Punchbowl Street) and District Court (Alakea Street). Judges at Ewa-Pearl City District Court, as well as our other district courthouses on Oahu, handle a wide variety of cases not requiring jury trials, such as traffic infractions and violations; criminal offenses punishable by imprisonment of less than a year; probable cause hearings for felony cases; certain civil matters; and petitions for temporary restraining orders for individuals who are not related nor in a dating relationship. The Judiciary appreciates this individual’s willingness to serve and hopes this explanation is helpful,” Jan Kagehiro, a Hawaii Judiciary spokeswoman, told Kokua Line.
The rule of law in the United States depends on everyday citizens fulfilling their civic duty in this manner. Among other things, the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides criminal defendants the right to a speedy, public trial decided by an impartial panel drawn from the general region where the crime allegedly occurred — commonly known as trial by a jury of one’s peers.
Oahu traffic can be a hassle. We hope that learning that the state’s court system doesn’t hold jury trials in Pearl City and therefore doesn’t need jurors so close to your home will make your commute to downtown Honolulu less irksome.
Q: Last election, we opted for absentee ballots. I thought it was a “permanent” option, but alas, no ballots arrived in the mail this time, so we had to go to the polling station. Is there an option to become a permanent absentee voter?
A: Yes. You can request to do so online, at olvr.hawaii.gov, or print an application and submit it by mail or in person at the county clerk’s office. Find the Voter Registration and Permanent Absentee Application and instructions at 808ne.ws/voterforms.
Previously, you may have filled out the One-Time Absentee Form, which is good only for a specific election.
Q: I voted in person for the primary but want to switch to mail for the general. Is that possible?
A: Yes. Applications requesting an absentee ballot must be received no later than seven days before the election, according to the Honolulu City Clerk.
Auwe
Auwe to my neighbor’s yard-service workers, who use their leaf blowers right along the fence line to blow everything from the neighbor’s yard straight into mine! Ever hear of a rake? I have complained to the neighbor and to the workers themselves, and nothing helps. They say good fences make good neighbors, but not in this case. — Fed up
Mahalo
A big mahalo to the surfer dudes who pulled up next to us while we were stopped at a light on Nimitz Highway and handed us a dent-free hubcap for our 1970 VW Bug. They rolled up in their own Bug and said, “Hey, you need a hubcap?” We had been looking for one! The aloha spirit is alive and well in Honolulu. How cool is that!? — Ron and Sharon
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
