News & Commentary

State must ensure that public monies subsidizing preschool attendance are not used to promote religion.

Read the complaint: Complaint3.27.14HONOLULU, HAWAII – A federal lawsuit against the State Department of Accounting and General Services (“DAGS”) charges that

Legal Documents:

Pastor Strat Goodhue and his wife, Doreen Goodhue, were unconstitutionally ordered to leave a Maui County public sidewalk where they were distributing religious literature.

(Honolulu, 1/31/2014) Mirroring nationwide attitudes, a newly released poll shows sharp increases in support for overhaul of Hawaii marijuana laws. The new poll, commissioned by Hawaii’s Drug Policy Action Group showed voter support for reform of Hawaii’s policies on marijuana trending upward across the board. Prominent local polling firm QMark Research conducted a statewide, statistically significant poll of 400 Hawaii voters between January 17, 2014 and January 23, 2014. Among its findings:• Today, 77%. of Hawaii voters think that jail time is inappropriate for marijuana possession,

The people of Maui need no longer fear arbitrary enforcement of harsh County rules against holding signs along public roadways.

The

The Hawai'i Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a medical cannabis patient in Hawai'i County, in a case discussing whether patients may lawfully "transport" their medicine.  The Court held that an inconsistency in the language of the medical cannabis law - which grants patients the right to transport their medicine, but then forbids that transportation in any place open to the public - must be resolved in patients' favor (such that patients who are otherwise in compliance with the medical cannabis statute may not be punished criminally for doing nothing more than transporting their medicine).  The ACLU of Hawai'i submitted an amicus curiae brief on this issue, available here.  The Court's opinion is available here, and the Chief Justice's concurrence/dissent is available here.