The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-07-11
"A Superfl,lous Court

Il W/HEN the third judicial circuit was estab-
w lished on Hawaii it seemed necessary for
number of excellent reasons. The kau, Kohala
and Kona districts were isolated from the more
densely settled windward cane growing districts
as effectuallv as if they had been on another Isl
and. There direct steamer connections
between East and West Hawaii and the easiest
and quickest way of going from Kaua to Hio, or
vice versa, to take steamer to Honolulu and
transfer here to another vessel. Roads were few,
tortuous and rocky.
Now, all this has been changed. The autOmo-
bile and the railroad have brought the whole ISL
and into close INSTRUMENTATION; llilo has
grown to be thriving city which has become in
all the business and social center not simply
for Hamakua, Hilo and Puma but for the Kohala
Kau and Kona districts as we'll. 1t is now simply
a matter of a few hours, at most half day,
for the residents of any Of these outlying and
sparsely settled districts to Journey into the
county seat.
When the third judicial district was established
it thought too grievOus a hardship for cit-
zens and court officials to have to attend court at
Hilo and hence this court was located at Kailua
midway between the isolated north and south
poles of the Big Island What then intended
as a convenience has in turn become more
grievous hardship than it originally.
There are hardly more than $50 or 800 citizens
available for Jury service in the four districts
included in the third circuit. AS result prac-
tically every man on the lists is drawn for grand
Z or petit jury service twice year. While under
the law jury service exempts citizen from repc
tition of service this exemption is imperative Z,
against service when second or third venirc must
be drawn, and there have been few court terms
when important causes up for trial that the
ordinary run of judicial exemptions have not made
several Venres necessary in order to FIJI the jury
box.
Kailua is hot, dusty, dirty hole without decent
accommodations for even those accused persons
who have fallen aslant of the Law. To dag law
abiding citizens there at stated intervals and com
pei them to live for varying number OF wre'i:
decrcpit hotels where bathtubs uhknuWn all
where ice, electric lights and modern COnvcncnceS
are merely traditional, is a travesty On Justice.
The cases tried at kaua mainly crimes Of
violence. How much influence the climate and I'M
comfortable surroundings have to do with the even
course of justice it would be difficult to state ANY,
one who has perspred through term of court
there tell tales of climatic influence the rem
dition of verdcts that would supply copy for IA year
in the columns of The Green Bag 1t has been
alleged that the obligation of jury duty at KaiIua
has had good deal to do with retarding the econo
mic development of KOna.
The point of the whole matter is that the third
circuit court has Outlived its usefulness and ought
to be abolished. All the trial and judicial
business of Hawaii be taken of by the
fourth circuit court at Ilo at better advantage to
htigants, at far greater convenience and less cost
Furthermore it would equaze the onerOus and rk
some annual duty of jury service how falling the
citizens of Kohala the two Konas and Kau.