Court Opinion

ID: 9908117
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-07 19:02:54.209739+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:48:55.889914
License: Public Domain

Electronically Filed
                                                        Supreme Court
                                                        SCPW-XX-XXXXXXX
                                                        07-DEC-2023
                                                        08:02 AM
                                                        Dkt. 22 OGP

                          SCPW-XX-XXXXXXX

          IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAIʻI
________________________________________________________________

                CELESTE M. GONSALVES, Petitioner,

                                vs.

                  THE HONORABLE KARIN L. HOLMA,
        Judge of the District Court of the First Circuit,
               State of Hawaiʻi, Respondent Judge,

                                and

                   JEAN M. ORQUE, Respondent.
________________________________________________________________

                        ORIGINAL PROCEEDING
                         (1DSC-XX-XXXXXXX)

          ORDER GRANTING PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS
          (By: Recktenwald, C.J., McKenna, and Eddins, JJ.,
          Circuit Judge Kawano and Circuit Judge Kawashima,
                   assigned by reason of vacancies)

     Upon consideration of the petition, Respondent’s answer to

the petition, Petitioner’s reply, and the record, this court is

satisfied that Petitioner has met the service required by Hawaiʻi

Revised Statutes § 633-28(a)(2) (2016) and Rules of the Small

Claims Division of the District Courts (RSCD) Rule 3(c).      See
RSCD Rule 1 (stating that the RSCD shall be construed to secure

the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every

action); RSCD Rule 9 (“The court shall not be bound by rules of

evidence except provisions relating to privileged

communications.”); see also Kema v. Gaddis, 91 Hawaiʻi 200, 204,

982 P.2d 334, 338 (1999) (mandamus standard).

     The evidence reflects that someone signed the certified

mail receipt as the addressee within the first judicial circuit

and Respondent has been appearing for the hearings, including

the first hearing on June 30, 2023.

     It is ordered that the petition is granted and a writ shall

issue requiring the Respondent Judge, or any presiding judge of

the Small Claims Division of the District Court of the First

Circuit, to move 1DSC-XX-XXXXXXX beyond the service issue,

including setting for trial if necessary.

          DATED:   Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, December 7, 2023.

                                      /s/ Mark E. Recktenwald

                                      /s/ Sabrina S. McKenna

                                      /s/ Todd W. Eddins

                                      /s/ Kelsey T. Kawano

                                      /s/ James S. Kawashima

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