HONOLULU — Domestic violence victims in Honolulu are no longer subject to arrest for not showing up to court, Hawaii court officials and prosecutors said.
State judges in the 1st Circuit are no longer granting prosecutor requests for bench warrants when subpoenaed victims fail to show up at one of the several hearings that precede trials for alleged abusers, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported .
Judge R. Mark Browning, the chief and administrative judge for the 1st Circuit, informed prosecutors of the change in early May.
The change reflects what has been a long dispute between Honolulu judges and prosecutors on whether victims need to appear at every court hearing in misdemeanor abuse cases.
Honolulu prosecutors like to have the victims present each time, saying their presence boosts the chances of getting a plea bargain and sends a clear message to the defense that the prosecution is ready.
“The only way they believe we’re ready for trial is if they see that victim’s face,” said Tiffany Kaeo, deputy prosecuting attorney and head of the office’s domestic violence felony division.
Victims say being forced to see their abusers multiple times in court is traumatic enough, but the repeated times they have to show up typically means having to take off work, arrange for child care or deal with other hassles.
The judges listened.
“It is just not fair to all involved, particularly the complaining witness (victim), for them to be forced to come” to every session, Browning told the Star-Advertiser. “The complaining witnesses become so frustrated that they refuse to come after a while.”
Nanci Kreidman, chief executive of the Domestic Violence Action Center, applauded the court for halting bench warrants for abuse victims.
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
