Case: Holbron v. Espinda

1CC16-1-000692 | Hawaii state trial court

Filed Date: April 14, 2016

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

The lawsuit was filed in the First Circuit Court in Honolulu in April 2016, and listed the Director of Public Safety, the Warden for Halawa Correctional Facility, and 25 unnamed Halawa officials as defendants.The allegations made by the plaintiff are similar to those asserted in an ongoing federal class-action lawsuit, Davis v. Abercrombie, 2017 WL 2234175, filed by a group of Native Hawaiian prisoners housed at the Saguaro Correctional Center or Red Rock Correctional Center, both Arizona priso…

The lawsuit was filed in the First Circuit Court in Honolulu in April 2016, and listed the Director of Public Safety, the Warden for Halawa Correctional Facility, and 25 unnamed Halawa officials as defendants.

The allegations made by the plaintiff are similar to those asserted in an ongoing federal class-action lawsuit, Davis v. Abercrombie, 2017 WL 2234175, filed by a group of Native Hawaiian prisoners housed at the Saguaro Correctional Center or Red Rock Correctional Center, both Arizona prisons. The plaintiff in the present case is represented by Sharla Ann Manley of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, the lead attorney in Davis v. Abercrombie.


According to this lawsuit, the plaintiff was not allowed to gather with other Native Hawaiian religious practitioners to "dance, chant, or pray" together or to observe the annual season of Makahiki, a four-month period dedicated to the Hawaiian god Lono. The plaintiff also alleged that he was denied access to sacred items — such as native garments, a tree stump drum, woven floor mats, and an outdoor altar — necessary for practicing his religion.

The docket is available on the Hawai'i State Judiciary's website, but the court documents are not publicly accessible so there is limited information about the case.

On Dec. 1, 2017, the plaintiff moved for class-action certification. As of January 2018, the case is ongoing.

Summary Authors

Elizabeth Greiter (1/13/2018)

People


Judge(s)

Ashford, James H. (Hawaii)

Ayabe, Bert (Hawaii)

Attorney for Plaintiff
Attorney for Defendant

Awong, William R.K. (Hawaii)

Inagaki, Caron M. (Hawaii)

Itomura, Lisa Michiko (Hawaii)

Judge(s)

Ashford, James H. (Hawaii)

Ayabe, Bert (Hawaii)

Nishimura, Rhonda (Hawaii)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

1CC16-1-000692

Docket [State Court]

Jan. 4, 2018

Jan. 4, 2018

Docket

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:29 p.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Hawaii

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: April 14, 2016

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

A Native Hawaiian inmate at the Halawa Correctional Facility alleging violation of his rights to practice his religion.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Pending

Defendants

Hawaii Department of Public Safety (Honolulu), State

Defendant Type(s):

Jurisdiction-wide

Corrections

Case Details

Constitutional Clause(s):

Due Process

Establishment Clause

Equal Protection

Available Documents:

None of the above

Outcome

Prevailing Party: None Yet / None

Nature of Relief:

None

Source of Relief:

None yet

Issues

General:

Conditions of confinement

Religious programs / policies

Discrimination-basis:

Religion discrimination

Type of Facility:

Non-government for-profit