Cases

On September 30, 2020, federal law enforcement arrested and filed charges against Martin Kao, then chief executive officer of Martin Defense Group, LLC (now known as PacMar Technologies LLC), a government contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense.  The charges concerned Kao fraudulently obtaining $12.8 million in COVID-19 relief funds on behalf of Martin Defense […]

In 2018, the Law Center learned more about the State Judiciary’s use of a confidential flag.  The confidential flag seals the entire case from public view, including the names of the parties, the docket, and the identities of counsel.  Subsequent motions to unseal in specific cases raised questions about whether these cases generally deserved this […]

Online publication Civil Beat challenged the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s refusal to disclose any documents concerning its investigations into public corruption and bribery that resulted in the convictions of former State Senator J. Kalani English and former State Representative Ty J.K. Cullen.  The FBI claimed that English and Cullen’s privacy interests outweighed the public’s interest in […]

The Law Center moved to unseal the Government’s motion for downward departure in sentencing for former legislator Ty Cullen who pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud for accepting bribes in United States v. Ty J.K. Cullen, 22-CR-13 SOM.  The Court granted the Government’s sealed motion before sentencing Defendant Cullen to 24 months imprisonment, as compared […]

This case concerns whether the criminal local rules of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and federal common law.  The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized that there can be no guarantee of free speech on matters concerning our justice system unless the […]

In 2018, the Law Center learned more about the State Judiciary’s use of a confidential flag for normal civil court cases.  The confidential flag seals the entire case from public view, including the names of the parties, the docket, and the identities of counsel.  Subsequent motions to unseal in specific cases raised questions about whether […]

The Law Center moved to unseal the Defendant’s sentencing filings in United States v. Rudolph Puana, 19-CR-15 JMS-WRP.  The documents should state the Defendant’s position regarding factual and legal issues related to his sentencing for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl and for a firearms offense.  The motion was assigned to the Honorable J. Michael […]

The Law Center moved to unseal search warrant materials and related filings in connection with United States v. Leong et al., 21-CR-142 LEK. Search warrants typically are withheld from the public before an indictment is filed so that potential targets cannot prematurely learn about the criminal investigation and destroy evidence or flee the jurisdiction. The motion […]

The Law Center moved to unseal the Defendant’s sentencing statement and exhibits, including letters of support, in United States v. Nickie Mali Lum Davis, 20-CR-68 LEK.  The document should state the Defendant’s position regarding factual and legal issues related to her sentencing for aiding and abetting a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.  The […]

This case concerns whether a rule of the Hawai`i State Courts violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized that there can be no guarantee of free speech on matters concerning our justice system unless the public has access to see what happens in court cases.  Thus, the […]