Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 10, 1 October 2020 — KAU, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

KAU,

ME6AN

© megankkau@gmail.com & www.friendsofmegankau.com AGE: 43 ODCUPATIDN: lawyer WHERE ūlū YŪU GR0W UP: Honolulu SCH0DL[S) ATTENDEŪ: Punahou, UH Mānoa. anei Santa Clara University I CURRENT RESIDENCE: Honolulu

1 ] I do not believe that law enforcement targets a certain race when investigating crimes. However, I do acknowledge that there are socio-economic issues in our community, just as there are in other societies. The Prosecutor is not in a position to fix these societal issues. The Prosecutor's role is to objectively apply the enminal law to anyone that violates the law as it is written, no matter what race the defendant may be. My plan is to fulfill that role. A Prosecutor that chooses whieh type of race to charge (or not charge) for a criminal offense becomes a corrupt Prosecutor. However, a Prosecutor ean be a community leader and educate the community on the effects of drug use and the effect the criminal justice system has on families. 2] lncarceration must be relied upon within the criminal justice system. lncarceration is an alternative to treatment - and treatment is always the better solution. But the challenge is that very often a drug user will not get treatment unless he/she is forced to do so. Therefore, in order to get treatment, a defendant has two choices: either (1) get treatment on his/her own: or (2) get forced into treatment with the threat of incarceration. If a defendant refuses to get treatment, he/she must be incarcerated. 3 ] I don't believe releasing inmates solely because of the pandemic is in the best interest of public safety. Ajudge has already ruled that this defendant should not be released into the community - because he/she is a flight risk and/or because he/she is likely to re-offend. Being in the midst of a pandemic does not change those factors. If the defendant is at risk of death because he/she has a pre-existing medical condition, the trial judge may consider that on a case-by-case basis to address that risk. Otherwise, the Department of the Public Safety has its own policies in plaee to deal with this type of situation. Inmates are safer in a facility and the community is safer while inmates are in a facility. 4) Landlord-tenant law is governed by Chapter 521 of the Hawai'i Revised Statutes. The Prosecutor does not have jurisdiction to bring cases under this chapter. Other aspects of the Governor's emergency orders may be enforced, but it depends on what eaeh person was charged with. It is difficult to make a blanket statement that we will enforce all orders. Eaeh order and eaeh violation needs to be evaluated individually.