MADELEINE VALERA/Honolulu Civil Beat

Honolulu Civil Beat
Honolulu hasn’t prosecuted a single ghost gun case since 2020 ban
This stands in stark contrast to prosecutors on neighboring islands, who have successfully used the law to go after ghost guns and who view it as a valuable tool. More than 50 people have been charged in Hawaiʻi and Maui counties since the law was enacted in 2020.
 
Hawaii passed a law to pay the wrongfully convicted. No one has been paid
When police had investigated the crime in 1990, DNA testing of bloodstains and other bodily fluids on the tablecloth was inconclusive. But by 2008, technology had advanced, and the new analysis showed that the DNA wasn’t Jardine’s.
 
Honolulu officers will not be charged in fatal New Year’s Day shooting
Criminal charges against officers in Hawaii for using on-duty lethal force are extremely rare. A 2021 charge against a Honolulu office was first time in decades, and the case did not proceed.
 
The unnamed dead of Honolulu may be revealed through DNA testing
Some were crime victims. Others lived and died in solitude.

Forensic pathologists hope that advanced DNA testing technology will allow them to attach names to all of the agency’s unidentified people. But for now, five cases — all children and teens — have been sent for additional testing thanks to a $50,000 grant from Texas-based cold case resolution company
 
Honolulu morgue aims to start giving families answers faster with new deputy
“We are servicing people and families in one of the most trying times of their life,” she said. “And so if we can be there to not only tell the story of their loved one and help them close that chapter, but then influence their lives after that, we can make a difference.”
 
Honolulu Police Department is adding dozens of extra police officers to westside patrols
Logan said the additional officers began patrolling in the District 8 area late last week. He did not want to say specifically how many officers would be on the streets but said the number is between eight and 20 per shift, depending on how many sign up.
 
The 3 women killed in Waianae shooting are remembered for their ‘Love And Aloha’
One worked for an insurance company; another for a bank. A third was a talented video producer.

“She’s an angel,” said her boyfriend of six years, Wyman Keamo. “She had a lot of love and aloha to share with everyone.”
 
Honolulu Police Department releases body camera footage in only a fraction of deadly encounters
In 2018, the Honolulu Police Department for the first time released body camera footage of a fatal officer-involved shooting.
 
Hawaii businessman to forfeit more than $20 million in assets after conviction, jury rules
Wednesday marked the end of phase two of the nearly seven-month federal trial, which was likely the longest in the state’s history, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson.
 
Honolulu prosecutor’s push for a different kind of probation has failed to win over critics — so far
Alm started the program, which stands for Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement, as a judge in 2004 with Cheryl Inouye, who is now his senior advisor. He swears by its strength at reducing recidivism and changing probationer behavior.
 
Jury convicts Honolulu businessman of 13 counts, including murder in aid of racketeering
Some spectators cried and others uttered a quiet “yes” or sighed with relief as a court clerk read the jury’s verdict. Miske watched solemnly as the clerk read each count.
 
Honolulu officers who handcuffed 10-year-old can be sued for using excessive force, judges rule
Three Honolulu police officers can be sued on excessive force claims for their part in handcuffing and arresting a 10-year-old girl at Honowai Elementary School in 2020, according to a recent decision by a panel of judges for the 9th U.S.
 
Police union fears Honolulu department can’t recruit its way out of its staffing crisis
The department has seen an uptick in applications. It received 1,171 applications between January and June 2024 compared with 894 during the same period last year, according to data provided by HPD. In April alone, the month after the mayor announced the hiring bonus, HPD received 247 applications,
 
Higher caseloads and staffing shortages plague Honolulu medical examiner’s office
The number of autopsies handled by the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner has more than doubled since 2008.
 
Honolulu tentatively agrees to $7 million settlement with remaining Makaha crash victim
Honolulu has tentatively agreed to a $7 million settlement with a 17-year-old boy who was riding in the back seat of a Honda Civic when it crashed following a high-speed police pursuit in Makaha in 2021.