A recent article in the Hawaii Reporter highlighted a serious problem that gets little attention – back-over accidents. These accidents can be particularly devastating because they often involve a parent, relative or friend…

An owner of a helicopter inspection company has made a rare admission – that he was negligent for not making sure that the helicopter that crashed in downtown Honolulu was safe. Brant Swigart – the owner of Hawaii Air Power Labs…

Hawaii news reports that a medical malpractice lawsuit has been filed against a St. Louis area hospital following a wrong side brain surgery. According to the negligence claim, the woman required surgery on the left side of her brain, but…

On May 3, 2013, the Hawaii Supreme Court issued an opinion awarding appellate attorney's fees and costs against the City & County of Honolulu in the amount of $41,192.00 in attorney's fees and $343.00 in costs in Kaleikini v.…

In Kauai Springs v. Planning Commission of the County of Kauai, Hawaii's Intermediate Court of Appeals ("ICA") addressed the question of whether "the Planning Commission had public trust obligations to review Kauai Springs' use of…

When confronted with complex processes, like environmental and land use policies and related implementation regulations, a common reaction is out with the old, in with the new. Change can be good, but a measured, comprehensive approach is…

Honolulu 911 calls go like this: Your heart is racing. You either witness, or suffer, an illegal activity. You’re nervous, everything is coming at you. You manage to get to the phone, often your cell phone, hit the numbers and as the…

   “We can and should do better. But “doing better” doesn’t mean simply focusing on social services and systemic reforms and ignoring the need for punishment. It means using punishment intelligently, which…

Update… This all started because I read a petition that used sensationalism over substance to achieve a visceral reaction to gain a signature for a petition. A member of the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery told me that he agrees with me…

The Muddled Debate About Pesticide Use And GM CropsDoes the adoption of GM crops lead to more or less pesticide use? This is a frequent topic of debate, but generally one that misses the point. Both sides make the same erroneous assumption…

Hawaii Business editor argues for preserving it.

Constitutional scholar Vikram David Amar on Justia.com questions the constitutionality of Hawaii's law utilized in appointing Brian Schatz to replace the late Senator Inouye. ...here’s the wrinkle:  the Hawaii statute (and those of…