Courts

Kauaʻi Man Died On His Birthday After Airport Staff Encounter (Brittany Lyte/Civil Beat/2025)

Kauaʻi Man Died On His Birthday After Airport Staff Encounter

In a lawsuit, the homeless man’s mother says her son was beaten to death.

City Lawyer Gets Off With A Scolding For Citing Fake Law In Civil Rights Case Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2010

City Lawyer Gets Off With A Scolding For Citing Fake Law In Civil Rights Case

A state judge told a Honolulu deputy corporation counsel accused of basing his argument on a fictional case created by artificial intelligence, ‘Don’t do it again.’

Hawaiʻi Expands Effort To Keep Women Out Of Jail David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Hawaiʻi Expands Effort To Keep Women Out Of Jail

Addressing the underlying trauma and substance abuse issues that many non-violent women offenders struggle with can put them on a better path — and save taxpayer money too.

Honolulu City Attorney Used Fictional Case Law To Combat Civil Rights Suit Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2016

Honolulu City Attorney Used Fictional Case Law To Combat Civil Rights Suit

Courts are increasingly grappling with mistakes made by an unethical reliance on artificial intelligence programs, but Honolulu’s top lawyer says the erroneous argument in the high-profile case was the result of sloppy work.

State Boards Must Release Records Showing Hiring Decisions, Judge Says Office of the Auditor

State Boards Must Release Records Showing Hiring Decisions, Judge Says

Newly released executive session minutes finally let the public see why the Agribusiness Development Corp. hired Wendy Gady to run the controversial organization.

Hawaiʻi Needs Lawyers. Now, Mainland Attorneys Can Practice Here Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaiʻi Needs Lawyers. Now, Mainland Attorneys Can Practice Here

Attorneys licensed in other states and in good standing can practice in Hawaiʻi without taking the state bar, as long as they work in criminal litigation for a government agency.

Lawsuit: Censoring Inmates’ Reading Material Violates Publisher’s Rights Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Lawsuit: Censoring Inmates’ Reading Material Violates Publisher’s Rights

A nonprofit that publishes ‘self-help’ books for prisoners challenges a new state policy.

AI In The Courtroom? Complaints About Misuse By Hawaiʻi Lawyers Growing Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

AI In The Courtroom? Complaints About Misuse By Hawaiʻi Lawyers Growing

Hawaiʻi is seeing an increase in complaints against lawyers accused of improperly using artificial intelligence programs to help produce documents, but the state court system has yet to take decisive action to address the problem.

Judge Stops Trial In Police Shooting Lawsuit Before It Goes To Jury Courtesy: Bickerton Law Group

Judge Stops Trial In Police Shooting Lawsuit Before It Goes To Jury

The city had taken the Lindani Myeni civil case to trial after Honolulu police officers strongly opposed a settlement.

Honolulu Leads Climate Change Legal Fight Against Fossil Fuel Companies David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Honolulu Leads Climate Change Legal Fight Against Fossil Fuel Companies

The city says the companies knew for decades that their products caused global warming and profited from it. The outcome could indicate how other cases play out.