Posted on: Monday, June 25, 2001

Court employees' trials to end with new building

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward Bureau

KANE'OHE — As a bulldozer stripped land and toppled giant trees this week to make room for the new Windward District Court on Kea'ahala Road, people who will run that facility are dreaming of extra space.

The Ko'olau Poko/Ko'olau Loa Division of the Circuit Court has operated out of two adjoining buildings, totaling 6,549 square feet, on Kahuhipa Street in the industrial area of Kane'ohe town since 1982. It sits between City Mill and Windward Dodge.

The new building, to be on two acres of land on the Hawaii State Hospital grounds, will have 28,000 square feet, on two levels. It will have two courtrooms, improved public and staff areas, a secure holding facility and about 80 parking stalls.

Nowadays at District Court boxes of files stored under desks, atop storage cabinets, in judges' chambers and in the administrator's office are eating up space. The Kahuhipa Street site has always been a temporary shelter for the third busiest District Court on O'ahu.

"Sometimes we bump into each other and laugh about no-fault," said Queenie Cavaco, a judiciary clerk at the courthouse for 12 years.

In the entry corridor, which is about five feet wide, people sometimes line up two deep for the entire length of the 40-foot hallway, blocking access to the courtroom as they wait to pay fines or process court papers.

A waiting area to the side of the corridor, which is about 10 feet by 8 feet, has four chairs and a table for public use. People in custody and waiting for trial are kept in a small room off the corridor, and must pass the public to enter the room or courtroom.

When it rains, the crowding is worse, but 75 to 80 people can sit out the weather in either courtroom.

"There is a bit of a dance when letting people go by," said Mike Carlin, a judiciary clerk, who has worked in the Kane'ohe court for nine months.

There are five District Courts on O'ahu. District Court handles civil and criminal cases. Criminal misdemeanor and all traffic cases go to District Court. Civil matters handled there are landlord-tenant disputes, regular claims and small claim cases.

In front, on Kahuhipa Street is a single-story, red-brick building with one courtroom and office space. Behind it a warehouse has been converted into another courtroom and office space.

The facility has three public parking stalls and two more for the handicapped. The metal detector is tucked into the water fountain alcove and brought out when officials think it's necessary.

Maintaining security is difficult because of the two separate courtrooms, said Wil Miller, a state sheriff responsible for security.

"Ideally you check everybody at a main central point for weapons and contraband before they come into the court building," Miller said. "You can't effectively do that here."

Miller said the sheriffs will be happy to get an office to work out of in the new court facility and a secure holding area for people in custody. Security also will improve once everything is under one roof, he said.

Not everyone working at the courthouse thinks a new facility is necessary to administer justice. Attorney Timothy Mac Master said the money for the building would be better spent giving judges and their support staff raises.

Despite the driving rain pounding on the roof and making it difficult to hear court proceedings, and the hard wooden benches in the courtroom, Mac Master said the old building was just fine.

"We don't need a courthouse full of koa to get a fair trial," he said, adding that he's sure the staff will be happy to have the new facility.

To be named the Abner Paki Hale, this courthouse is the first judiciary facility to be built since 1987 when the Lahaina District Court was constructed.

The Legislature appropriated $8.9 million for the project that will be done in two phases.

The first phase includes constructing staff residences for the State Hospital, to replace homes that will be torn down to make room for the new building. The second phase involves the new courthouse, which should be finished June 2002.