A free legal consultation in Waianae offers the opportunity to resolve minor crimes

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – If you have been arrested or have an outstanding warrant and would like to clear your criminal record, the District Attorney’s Office and the Judiciary are hosting a free record expungement and warrant recall clinic at the Waianae Public Library on Saturday, March 28 September, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m

Volunteer attorneys and a judge help residents with requests to recall their outstanding District Court warrants, often because they missed a court date for matters such as traffic matters and petty crimes.

They also help people expunge qualified arrests, whether they are first-time offenders with reprieves or have had their cases dismissed with prejudice or acquitted.

Organizers say the clinic helps residents overcome past mistakes without being jailed or making bail and not being prevented from finding work.

“It allows them to apply and then when the potential employer goes for a background check, they don’t have to explain it in detail because it was something that shouldn’t have been there in the first place or should have been there at that point in time.” not there at all,” said Edward Aquino, assistant public defender.

“If you have an excellent warrant, you will always be looking over your shoulder. They can be arrested at any time,” he added. “That’s a lot of fear, that’s a lot of uncertainty, trying to get the warrant recalled and get them back on track with the court. “You don’t have to look over their shoulder.”

“For someone who has been arrested or has a record that everyone can access, there is a stigma attached to it. And it doesn’t matter whether someone is convicted or not,” Aquino said. “What prevents people from getting a job is that employers sometimes don’t check whether it has resulted in a conviction, acquittal or other disposition if something is on the record. You just see, oh, there’s a court docket for this person, or there’s a docket for this person. And when they have to choose between that person and someone who has nothing at all, employers often choose people who have no court record at all.”

In a statement, Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald said, “The judiciary has long advocated for greater access to justice in the criminal and civil justice systems. This clinic provides a great opportunity for individuals who want to address legal matters that may have prevented them from finding work, housing, and overall moving their lives in a more positive direction. I would like to express my deep appreciation to the many organizations and volunteer advocates for coming together to provide this important community service. I also want to thank our court staff and judges for considering motions to seal court cases after arrest records have been expunged.”

Participating attorneys say the free clinic helps reduce the backlog of outstanding warrants, particularly in county courts.

Walk-ins are welcome.

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