Question: Early one morning my daughter was in her car in the Ewa District Court parking lot, waiting to pick up some forms. A woman came up, took her photo and photos of her car and several other cars in the lot, then walked into the court building. I went to Ewa District Court to ask why the woman took my daughter’s picture while she was parked in a public lot. She pulled out her cellphone and said, "Which car was she in?" The sheriff came out and got involved. I asked for the woman’s supervisor, who listened to my complaint and apologized for her employee’s behavior and said that they have been having problems with people parking in the lot and jumping on the bus. I said that has nothing to do with my daughter and that it was a violation of her rights and privacy. I looked for any signs stating that parking in the lot was limited or my daughter was in violation. I could not find any. What gives a "clerk" the right to take pictures of customers in the parking lot, then to send a letter of violation? This practice should stop.
Answer: The unauthorized practice has stopped.
"The employee has acknowledged taking photo documentation of cars is not appropriate and has accepted full responsibility for this mistake," said Tammy Mori, spokeswoman for the Hawaii Judiciary. "It is something that will not happen again, and we also would like to apologize to our court customers as well."
The employee deleted all the photos she took; she said she did not take photos of drivers, Mori said.
Bottom line: "All employees have been asked to not document vehicles or take pictures of vehicles in the parking lot."
Parking is a problem at Ewa District Court, where the Judiciary shares 40 parking stalls, plus two handicap stalls, with another state agency, Mori said.
On court dates, Monday through Thursday, the lot is overflowing, with cars often double- and triple-parked, Mori said. "It appears some have been using the parking lot as a park-and-ride, since the courthouse is right next to a bus stop."
There are multiple security issues as well, she said, with reports of people camping on the premises, using water for personal hygiene and using the parking lot as a restroom. There also have been problems with vandalism, drug paraphernalia and graffiti.
Because of the security and parking issues noted, the employee began to document any "suspicious vehicles" parked prior to the court opening for business at 8 a.m., Mori said.
On the day your daughter was there, a group of vehicles was parked at about 6:15 a.m.
Asked about the supposed parking citations issued, Mori said, "We are not aware of any parking citations that have been issued in the parking lot." If any citations are issued, it would be through the Honolulu Police Department, not the Judiciary.
The employee who documented the vehicles intended to leave letters on windshields if the vehicles were left unattended in the lot throughout business hours, Mori said.
"Although she did not receive any permission to photograph or document vehicles, her actions were an attempt to help alleviate some of our ongoing parking problems," she said.
In the meantime, the Judiciary is "putting up signs that make it clear that the parking stalls are restricted to those who are doing business at the courthouse," Mori said.
———
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.
