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Times change, political leaders change, but the American Civil Liberties Union mission remains the same: no matter who is in charge, we’re here to protect and advance civil rights as guaranteed by the U.S. and Hawai‘i State Constitutions. We are non-profit, non-partisan, and do not accept government funding. The ACLU of Hawai‘i was established in […]
Law enforcement agencies’ responsibilities during mass demonstrations
With the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on top of Mauna Kea restarting the week of 7/15/19, and the likely protests and acts of civil disobedience that will likely take place in response, the ACLU of Hawaiʻi reached out to local law enforcement with recommendations on how to fulfill their dual responsibilities to both […]
DEMAND LETTER: AS TMT ISSUE RAMPS UP, STATE MUST REASSURE PUBLIC THAT LRAD “SOUND CANNON” WILL NOT BE USED AS A WEAPON AGAINST DEMONSTRATORS
Read the letter with attachments (PDF): ACLU Letter to DLNR re LRAD Re: DLNR’s Acquisition of a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) Dear Chairperson Case, Chief Redulla, Governor Ige, and Attorney General Connors: The ACLU of Hawaiʻi Foundation (“ACLU of Hawaiʻi”) has learned that the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (“DLNR”) […]
RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS AND RETALIATION AGAINST WHISTLEBLOWERS AT PROSECUTOR’S “SAFE HOUSE” VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION
Read the letter (PDF format): 6.26.19 HPSH anti-retaliation Letter Honolulu, Hawai‘i: On June 26, 2019 the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i Foundation (ACLU) sent a demand letter to Acting Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Nadamoto, Hawai‘i Prosecutorʻs Safe House Director Sandra Kint, and Acting Corporation Counsel Paul Aoki after resident whistleblowers living at a domestic violence […]
Open Letter to Mayors Attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 87th Annual Meeting
Read the letter (PDF): ACLUHI NLCHP Open Letter to U.S. Conference of Mayors re Houselessness… 6/28/19: The ACLU of Hawai‘i and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty issued a joint open letter to mayors attending the the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Honolulu, Hawai‘i: To those attending the 2019 U.S. Conference of Mayors’ […]
ACLU OF HAWAII’S RESPONSE TO THIS MORNING’S ACTION AT MAUNA KEA
The State has said it wants to be a good steward of Mauna Kea — that it believes cultural access *and* the telescopes can co-exist there. Today’s reports (if true) of access to the mountain now being summarily denied to all but State personnel and contractors — at the exclusion of even Native Hawaiian practitioners […]
COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL DOE CHOOSING LEGAL MANEUVERING OVER GENDER EQUITY
Read our motion asking the court to amend our complaint so we could add an additional plaintiff: 69-1 – Memorandum in Support Read the DOE’s reply opposing that motion: 77. DOE Opposition to Motion to Amend[1] Our reply to the DOE motion: 78 – Reply in Support of Motion for Leave to File 1st […]
ACLU of Hawai‘i Comments on Proposed Rules regarding Public and ‘Commercial Activities on Mauna Kea Lands’
Read the proposed rules: https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2019/02/12/university-seeks-comments-informal-draft-maunakea-rules/ Read the ACLU of Hawaiiʻs latest testimony: ACLU Comments on Proposed Rules TMT to UH 6.3.19 FINAL Yesterday, the ACLU of Hawai‘i testified at a public hearing at Mānoa Elementary School regarding the proposed chapter 20-26, Hawaii Administrative Rules, entitled “Public and Commercial Activities on Mauna Kea Lands.” The ACLU of […]
Column: Hawaii’s asset-forfeiture reforms go long way to restore public trust in police
Originally published in the Honolulu Star Advertiser, 5/5/19 By Mandy Fernandes and Carl Bergquist Hawaii’s Legislature has passed House Bill 748, a bill to reform the civil asset forfeiture program, and Gov. David Ige should sign it. Originally designed in the 1970s by the federal government to seize property from organized crime and cartels, asset […]
BILL TO REFORM “POLICING FOR PROFIT” DESERVING OF GOVERNOR IGE’S SIGNATURE
HONOLULU, HI – The Hawai‘i State Legislature has sent HB748 HD2 SD2 — a bill that would significantly reform the state’s civil asset forfeiture program — to Governor Ige for his signature. The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai’i (ACLU of Hawai‘i) and Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i (DPFH), both of which supported HB748, have […]
BAIL BILLS A START BUT MORE WORK NEEDED
Honolulu, Hawai‘i: The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i (ACLU) reviewed the final versions of HB 1552 and SB 192 – bills establishing a Hawai‘i Correctional Oversight Commission; a criminal justice institute to gather data on the Hawai‘i corrections system; and making some adjustments to how bail is handled in Hawai‘i. For years the ACLU has pushed for meaningful reform of our […]
