Police want law changed
to ease wiretap approval

Mayors hope to retain funds
Legislators hear UH appeal

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Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com

State and county police and prosecutors want the Legislature to change state law to make it easier for them to obtain wiretaps.

The proposal is one of four bills the Hawaii Law Enforcement Coalition will be presenting to lawmakers when the legislature convenes later this month. The coalition includes the state Attorney General, all four county police chiefs and the four county prosecutors.

The wiretap proposal would bring state law in line with federal law passed in 1968. Current Hawaii law requires an adversary hearing for wiretap requests. The hearing allows for an appointed attorney to argue against the wiretap and question witnesses.

The other bills would establish guidelines by which prosecutors can charge suspects with crimes without having to present witnesses, require murder defendants who use extreme mental or emotional disturbance as a defense to prove they were under such condition and make assaulting a law enforcement officer a felony in certain cases.

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Honolulu Police Department

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Legislature Bills & Hawaii Revised Statutes

Testimony by email: testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov
Include in the email the committee name; bill number;
date, time and place of the hearing; and number of copies
(as listed on the hearing notice.) For more information,
see http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/par
or call 587-0478.