District Court of the Third Circuit

Corporate body

District Court of the Third Circuit

1847

The 1847 Act organizing the Judiciary Department designated the district and police courts as the island courts not of record. District and police court determinations were subject to appeal in the circuit courts on their respective island. District and police justices had jurisdiction to determine all civil and criminal cases. Police justices were assigned to the ports of Honolulu and Lahaina and had jurisdiction over both minor civil and criminal as well as maritime cases. Police justices also had jurisdiction over foreigners over the entire island or circuit in which his district was situated.

In 1892, the Judiciary reorganized. The islands of Kauai and Niihau were designated the Fifth Circuit. The jurisdiction of the Fourth Circuit encompassed the districts of Hamakua, Hilo and Puna on the island of Hawaii. In 1943 the Fourth Circuit was abolished and the entire island of Hawaii was again designated the Third Circuit.

The 1892 Judiciary reorganization designated all police justices as district magistrates, holding powers formerly exercised by police justices.

The district courts' jurisdiction remained the same when Hawaii became a territory of the United States in 1900. The exception was maritime cases which were not heard in the district courts after 1900.

Traffic violations, previously handled by the county police departments, were criminalized and heard in the district courts after 1960.

District and police court determinations were subject to appeal in the circuit courts on their respective island. District and police justices had jurisdiction to determine all civil and criminal cases. Police justices were assigned to the ports of Honolulu and Lahaina and had jurisdiction over both minor civil and criminal as well as maritime cases. Police justices also had jurisdiction over foreigners over the entire island or circuit in which his district was situated.

Maritime cases were not heard in the district courts after 1900.

Traffic violations, previously handled by the county police departments, were criminalized and heard in the district courts after 1960.

The clerks of the Supreme Court, circuit courts, and district courts were appointed by their respective courts and had the power to issue process in all suits and matters brought before the court, administer oaths, take depositions of witnesses, to assess damages, and draw juries. The clerk recorded the proceedings of the court and held custody of court records. The clerks had charge of the seals of the court, maintained financial records, made quarterly account reports, and maintained an alphabetical list of plaintiffs and defendants to any suit or judgment recorded.

An Act to Organize the Judiciary Department of the Hawaiian Islands, 1847
An Act to Reorganize the Judiciary Department, 1892

Judiciary (1840)

District Court of the Fourth Circuit (1892-1943)

District Court of the Fourth Circuit (1892-1943)

Hawaiʻi State Archives

Created on 1994-06, P. Lai
Revised on 1996-10, 1996-11, 1997-04, 2001-06, and 2002-06
Additions on 2002-11, A. Hoof
Additions on 2004-04, P. Lai

• English

1994-06, P. Lai: Created
1996-10, 1996-11, 1997-04, 2001-06, and 2002-06: Revised
2002-11, A. Hoof: Additions
2004-04, P. Lai: Additions
2020-09-09, Joel Horowitz: Entered into AtoM