Court Takes New Tack with Public Records
It was a new day in state district court Thursday.
The last time I visited three sheriffs escorted me from the building when I refused to pay a search fee to inspect public documents.
That was a month ago. Thursday was sheriff free and a vastly better experience.
As part of an ongoing investigation into human trafficking in Hawaii, Civil Beat’s been compiling prostitution-related arrests for months. What we sought from the court were the calendars that showed what happened to the suspects once they were in front of a judge. We wanted to view them, jot down a few notes about outcomes and then return them.
But the court balked.
When I asked to see the case calendars, I was told that I’d have to pay a $5 “search fee” for each one. A case file is supposed to be as public as a court hearing, is the way I see it. (Our research after the fact found that Hawaii was the only state in the nation to charge just to review court records. Copying is another matter.)
A couple weeks ago, Civil Beat received a letter from Rodney Maile, the administrative director of the courts. Maile acknowledged that for a democracy to function properly, citizens must have access to the workings of the judiciary. On his second day on the job, he suspended the fee for everyone using the courts and put us in contact with people who would work with us.
After a few phone calls, we faxed over our requests and were told that a representative would be expecting us Thursday morning.
I saw the same faces that I had so obviously unintentionally annoyed on my last visit. This time they smiled and offered assistance. A box with about 50 files was waiting for me and I was allowed to view the documents in the company of a court official.
I took down the information I needed and was in and out in half an hour, thanks to Maile’s decision and the assistance of folks who were just following the rules the last time we met.
