Skip to Main Nav Skip to Main Content Skip to Footer Content

House Concurrent Resolution 134 (2017) Criminal Pretrial Task Force

The Twenty-Ninth Legislature, 2017, adopted House Concurrent Resolution 134, H.D. 1, requesting the Judiciary to convene a task force to examine and make recommendations regarding criminal pretrial practices and procedures to maximize public safety, maximize court appearances, and maximize pretrial release of the accused and presumed innocent. 

The Criminal Pretrial Task Force has been tasked to: 

(1)  Examine and, as needed, recommend legislation and revisions to criminal pretrial practices and procedures to increase public safety while maximizing pretrial release of those who do not pose a danger or a flight risk; and (2) Identify and define best practices metrics to measure the relative effectiveness of the criminal pretrial system, and establish ongoing procedures to take such measurements at appropriate time intervals.

Chaired by Judge Rom Trader, the task force is comprised of members who participate in the criminal justice system in different ways, including the Judiciary, Legislature (House of Representatives and Senate), Attorney General, Department of Public Safety (Intake Services Center), Prosecuting Attorney’s Offices of each county, Office of the Public Defender for the State of Hawaii; Hawaii Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (one representative from each county), County Police Departments, Department of Health, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the public.

The Task Force, with the assistance of the Legislative Reference Bureau, shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the 2019 Legislature.