Opinion ID: 6494892
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The “Surety on the Bond” Was Either Peppers of FBB or Fisher of AAA

Text: International Fidelity argues that the ICA and the circuit court failed to construe HRS § 804-51 by its plain meaning, but rather supplanted a key term, “surety,” with “bail bondsperson,” based on legislative history. As the ICA pointed out, however, further support beyond legislative history is provided by the representations made on the face of the bail bonds. For example, the ICA noted that the signatures of Peppers or Del Rio of FBB, or Fisher of AAA, were present on the bonds, which included language requiring the defendant to comply with the court’s conditions. See Nelson, 139 Hawai'i at 162, 384 P.3d at 938. The bonds do not contain a signature or seal of International Fidelity, and the signatures of Peppers, Del Rio, and Fisher do not indicate they had signed on behalf of International Fidelity. These facts support the conclusion that Peppers or Del Rio of FBB or Fisher of AAA were the sureties as HRS § 804-1 requires the signature of “a defendant’s surety or sureties” on a recognizance that the defendant would comply with applicable conditions. Further, at the time the subject bail bonds were issued, Criminal Administrative Order No. 2.1 was in effect. 17 This order required that all bail bonds follow the “Sample Standard Form for Bail Bonds.” The Standard Form provided that the “Name of Surety” be identified in two separate places on the bond, and that the address and telephone number of the named surety be listed at the top of the form. Additionally, Criminal Administrative Order No. 2.1 stated that those issuing bail bonds were “responsible for ensuring that all information appearing on a bond is correct.” The surety named on the bond is critical to applying HRS § 804-51, as the statute requires that when a bond is forfeited, “the court shall immediately enter up judgment in favor of the State and against the principal or principals and surety or sureties on the bond,” and notice be “given via personal service or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the surety or sureties on the bond, of the entry of the judgment in favor of the State.” HRS § 804-51. As noted supra Part II.B., a comparison of each of the bail bonds in this matter show that they conform to the Sample Standard Form for Bail Bonds, and that the “Name of Surety” identified on the bail bond was either “Ida Peppers, Freedom Bail Bond,” or “AAA Local Bail Bonds, Charles Fisher General Agent.” Accordingly, the “surety or sureties on the bond” was either Peppers or Fisher, not International Fidelity. Thus, a plain language interpretation or strict construction of HRS § 804-51 leads to the same conclusion: that the statute required that judgment be entered against, and notice be given to, Peppers or Fisher, and not to International Fidelity. Based on the foregoing, see Parts IV.A.-B., International Fidelity’s reliance on the surety law of other jurisdictions is misplaced.