Press Releases

Improved housing protection for Hawai‘i Medical Marijuana patients becomes law 11/1/14

The Medical Cannabis Coalition of Hawai‘i ("MCCHI") welcomes the enactment of Act 60, which voids provisions in Hawai‘i rental agreements that previously would have allowed eviction of a tenant based on their status as a registered patient with Hawaiiʻs medical marijuana program.
Issue Areas: Smart Justice

Hawai‘i Supreme Court: Indigent Parents Have the Right to Court-Appointed Counsel During Child Welfare Proceedings

 In a unanimous opinion, the Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruled on 1/6/14 that indigent parents have a constitutional right to legal counsel in cases where the State seeks to place their children into the foster care system.
Issue Areas: Smart Justice

Hawai‘i Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments 12/5/13 on Case Involving the Due Process Rights of Indigent Parents in Child Welfare Proceedings

Extensive “friend of the court” brief in support of the right to court-appointed counsel was filed by Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, and American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii Foundation.