Reports of domestic violence have increased during the pandemic, and that has the state judiciary concerned.
Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald told the legislature how the state s judicial system is faring during the COVID-19 pandemic during his State of the Judiciary address last week. He highlighted the courts have been backlogged more than usual due to safety concerns, and an overwhleming amount of COVID-related citations.
He says more than 60,000 COVID-related citations have been issued on Oahu. That s compared to the 20,000 criminal citations the first circuit district court handled in 2019. Violating an emergency order is a full misdemeanor, carrying a possible sentence of up to a year in prison.