HIGHLIGHTS FOR FISCAL 2004-2005
This section explains some of the highlights of the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.
Department Summary
Mission Statement
The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney pursues justice with integrity and commitment..
Vision Statement
We are an ohana of dedicated, dynamic, committed professionals striving for excellence in pursuit of justice for all. We are loyal, fair, respectful of others and exemplify compassion and moral courage in response to the needs of the community.
Roles and Duties
The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney is the legal agency responsible for the prosecution of all criminal cases occurring on the Big Island. The Prosecuting Attorney appoints the necessary staff to represent the people of this community before the District Court, Family Court, Circuit Court, Grand Jury, Intermediate Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii.
The Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys also appear in federal courts, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court, to see that Big Island convictions are not overturned. The agency's duty and goal is to seek justice in criminal cases in the County of Hawaii.
Department Goals
- To strive for just disposition of criminal cases and promote public safety and order through timely, efficient, and effective prosecution.
- To ensure that victims and witnesses of crimes are treated with respect, courtesy, and sensitivity in their cooperation with criminal prosecution.
- To improve the criminal justice system by identifying areas of need and working collaboratively with other criminal justice agencies and the community.
- To encourage and promote crime prevention and early intervention initiatives.
Staffing
The following table shows the staffing of the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.
Staff in Fiscal 2004-2005 Appointed Personnel 36 Permanent Personnel 36 State-funded Personnel 15 Federal-funded Personnel 9
Funding Source and Position Count
In the 2004-2005 fiscal year, the office had a total projected operating budget of $6,452,420, of which 39.3 percent, or $2,535,952, was from federal and state grants. Federal funds through the U.S. Department of Justice provided funding for Community Oriented Prosecution, Violence Against women, Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant, Community Gun Violence Prosecution, Weed and Seed Program, Sex Offender Publication and Tracking Program and Drug Task Force projects. The Victims of Crime Act, a federal grant program, funds positions in the Victim Assistance Unit. Federal funds received through the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provided funding for Highway Safety and Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center Projects. In addition, state funding is received for the Career Criminal Program and Victim/Witness Program.
The following table displays the various funding sources and position counts in the program budget for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for Fiscal 2005-2006.
| Source | Amount $ | No. Positions |
|---|---|---|
| General Fund | 4,536,389 | 64 |
| Grant Revenue | 1,615,000 | 37 |
| Other | 200,000 | – |
| Total Budget | 6,351,389 | 101 |
General Prosecution
Traditional Prosecution
- Serviced 2,063 calendars for Circuit Court, District Court, Family Court, Drug Court and Mental Health Court in Hilo, Kona, Puna, South Kohala, North Kohala, Hamakua and Ka'u.
- Serviced 19,527 cases referred to the office.
Victim Services
- Provided assistance to 3,569 victims and witnesses of crime and their significant others from January to June 2005.
- Provided federal funding for direct services to victims to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Child and Family Services, YWCA Sex Assault Victim Empowerment (SAVE) and Turning Point for Families.
- Coordinated Death Notification and Aftercare workshop in August 2004 in Kona and Hilo.
- Participated in 11 community and agency events to provide information and training on program services for victims.
Criminal Justice System
- Secured second year funding for the Drug Task Force to focus on prosecution of high level drug dealers.
- Participated in Adult and Juvenile Drug Court. Adult Drug Court graduated 15 participants. Juvenile Drug Court started in March 2005.
- Implemented a Sex Offender Publication and Tracking project in July 2004 which processed petitions for registration of sex offenders. A new law enacted in June 2005 addressed the project objective.
- Participated in several statewide and islandwide interagency groups to develop interventions and strategies to improve the criminal justice system. Participation included the Law Enforcement Coalition (LEC), Hawaii Prosecuting Attorney Association (HPAA), Governor's Traffic Safety Advisory Commission, Western Community Policing Center State Advisory Committee, Big Island Drug Court, Gang Task Force, Big Island Criminal Justice Task Force, Mental Health Diversion Task Force, Domestic Violence Interagency Team (DVIAT) and Visitor Aloha Society (VASH).
- Coordinated the statewide Negligent Homicide training in May 2005 to improve investigations and prosecution efforts.
- Sponsored the Drug Court: Substance Abusing Offenders With Mental Health Problems seminar in September 2004.
Juvenile Issues
- Participated in planning and implementing the Juvenile Drug Court for Hawaii County, which started in March 2005.
- Continued coordination of the Juvenile Justice strategic plan implementation:
- Provided ongoing coordination of the interagency information sharing and case management project to address serious and habitual juvenile offenders.
- Provided ongoing coordination of the development of a Big Island Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (BIJIAC) in East and West Hawaii.
- Provided federal funding to the Lanakila Learning Center to supplement the alternative learning program.
- Obtained private funding for youth projects developed at the 2005 Youth Summit in October 2005.
- Provided support to the Department of Education, Ka'u, Kea'au and Pahoa Complex Area for G.E.A.R. U.P. grant proposal efforts.
- Sponsored/co-sponsored workshops and seminars to address juvenile issues:
- Sponsored the Youth Summit in September 2004 which was attended by 58 students from nine high schools throughout the island.
- Co-sponsored the Child Development workshop in October 2004.
- Coordinated the Juvenile Mental Health Disorders workshop in January 2005.
- Coordinated the Best Practices in Juvenile Justice workshop in February 2005.
- Supported Na Leo O Na Opio projects — Youth Anti-Drug Health Fair in January 2005, Career Fair in November 2004 and Summer Opportunities Expo in April 2005.
Community Strategies
- Secured fourth year federal funding for the Community Oriented Prosecution project in West and East Hawaii. Obtained county funding to continue the project beyond September 2005.
- Received federal Weed and Seed designation for Pahoa town in October 2004.
- Awarded contract to Island of Hawaii YMCA for Weed and Seed coordinator.
- Continued participation in Lieutenant Governor Aiona's Ad Hoc Committee to address "ice" issues on a statewide basis.
- Provided 680 keiki identification cars at seven community events to promote child safety.
Administrative
- Received federal funding totaling $1,653,545 (26 percent of budget) for Community Oriented Prosecution project, Victims of Crime Act programs, a Violence Against Women deputy, Juvenile Accountability Block Grant programs, Local Law Enforcement Block Grant project, Community Gun Violence Prosecution project, Drug Task Force deputies, Sex Offender Prosecution project, BIJIAC project and Traffic Safety training project.
- Received state funding totaling $660,000 (10 percent of budget) for the Career Criminal and Victim/Witness programs.
- Received County Council funds of $8,704 for the agency match portion of the Weed and Seed project.
- Completed implementation of the new Hawaii Island Tracking System (HITS) in October 2005, which replaced the Wang FACTS case tracking system.
- Completed design of the new Hilo office in May 2005. The target date for completion of renovation at 655 Kilauea Avenue is October 2006.
- Continued participation in the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HCJDC) Horizontal Integration Project, which is being piloted in Hawaii County.
- Coordinated 2,850 volunteer hours in the Hilo and Kona offices. Volunteers provided support to the clerical, administrative, legal and investigative staff members.