Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1847-1966 (Creation)
Level of description
Series
Extent and medium
1.2 cubic feet in 1 5-inch box, and 7 volumes (includes 5 oversize volumes).
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
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.
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.
Repository
Archival history
Some Hawaiian documents have been translated to English by the courts and Archives translators.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Police justice incoming letters date from 1855 to 1857 and 1861 transmit sheriff's reports, complaints, depositions, receipts of payments, and prison reports. Registers list date, name of defendant, offense, judgment, court costs, and fines in civil and criminal proceedings. The indexes cover 1900 to 1966 and contain names of individuals involved in insanity or mental commitment cases and liquor violation cases. The bulk of the records are dated before 1900.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged in the following order: police justice incoming letters, registers, and indexes. Police justice incoming letters are arranged chronologically. Registers are arranged chronologically. Indexes are arranged alphabetically.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
- Hawaiian
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
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
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
1994-06, P. Lai: Created
1996-10, 1996-11, 1997-04, 2001-06, and 2002-06: Revised
2002-11, A. Hoof: Additions
2020-09-09, Joel Horowitz: Entered into AtoM