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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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State’s eCrim site posts rap sheets of the guilty
Question: How do I check the criminal background of a person online? What steps do I have to follow to go online?
Answer: Go to Hawaii's Adult Criminal Information site (eCrim) at ecrim.ehawaii.gov/ahewa and just follow the directions.
There, you can access public information on anyone found guilty of a crime in Hawaii or acquitted because of physical or mental reasons.
Not considered public record and, therefore, not available to the general public, are arrest records that resulted in nonconvictions or are still pending. Only criminal justice agencies and agencies such as the Department of Human Services can access nonconviction information.
The database, maintained by the state Attorney General's Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, does not include criminal records from other states or from federal files, nor does it include juvenile records, unless a case was transferred to adult court.
You can do a search just based on a person's name, but you are cautioned that that alone might not be sufficient to find the person you are looking for. Social Security numbers, date of birth and sex can narrow the search, especially if the person has a common name. If you have access to fingerprints, that is even better.
Convictions can range from minor to major.
"If a person has been arrested and found guilty, we will post that information," said Norma Ueno, a unit supervisor with the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center.
On top of that, "conviction information is not eligible for expungement, and will be posted forever," she said.
There is a one-time, first-time charge of $1 -- payable only by credit card -- to verify your identity.
It will cost you $13 to view any record, which includes a hard copy and a PDF copy that is sent to your e-mail address. You will be charged for every record that you view, Ueno said.
Since Hawaii criminal background checks became available online in October 2005, there have been more than 750,000 searches.
Asked whether a record is kept of people doing the searches, Ueno said information about requesters is maintained by the portal vendor for billing purposes.
For more information, go to hawaii.gov/ag/hcjdc/main/faqs.
Q: In early February a contractor cut down most of two large trees at the Diamond Head end of South Judd Street along Nuuanu Stream. Left remaining were large tree stumps that will undoubtedly attract termites. Was this authorized by the government? Now there is a just a huge hole in the area's tree canopy.
A: The tree-cutting was authorized and performed by the city Department of Facility Maintenance.
We checked first with the Outdoor Circle, which is a good resource for any tree-related question or complaint.
In general, if trees are within the boundaries of the Punchbowl Special Design District, a permit for removal might be required from the city Department of Planning and Permitting, Outdoor Circle spokesman Bob Loy explained.
The trees in question were located in the Punchbowl Special District but not in the core area nor along a major street, said Henry Eng, director of planning and permitting.
Tree removal requires a "minor" permit only if the property they are on is located in the core area or along a major street, he said.
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
See also: Useful phone numbers