Haw. Rev. Stat. § 804-51

Current through Act 1 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 804-51 - Procedure

Whenever the court, in any criminal cause, forfeits any bond or recognizance given in a criminal cause, the court shall immediately enter up judgment in favor of the State and against the principal or principals , surety or sureties, and surety insurer or surety insurers on the bond, jointly and severally, for the full amount of the penalty thereof, and shall cause execution to issue thereon immediately after the expiration of thirty days from the date that notice is given via personal service or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the surety or sureties or the surety insurer or surety insurers on the bond, of the entry of the judgment in favor of the State, unless before the expiration of thirty days from the date that notice is given to the surety or sureties or the surety insurer or surety insurers on the bond of the entry of the judgment in favor of the State, a motion or application of the principal or principals, surety or sureties, surety insurer or surety insurers, or any of them, showing good cause why execution should not issue upon the judgment, is filed with the court. If the motion or application, after a hearing held thereon, is sustained, the court shall vacate the judgment of forfeiture and, if the principal surrenders or is surrendered pursuant to section 804-14 or section 804-41, return the bond or recognizance to the principal, surety, or surety insurer, whoever shall have given it, less the amount of any cost, as established at the hearing, incurred by the State as a result of the nonappearance of the principal or other event on the basis of which the court forfeited the bond or recognizance. If the motion or application, after a hearing held thereon, is overruled, execution shall forthwith issue and shall not be stayed unless the order overruling the motion or application is appealed from as in the case of a final judgment. If the motion or application, after a hearing held thereon, is granted, the State may appeal the order granting the motion or application as in the case of a final judgment.

This section shall be considered to be set forth in full in words and figures in, and to form a part of, and to be included in, each and every bond or recognizance given in a criminal cause, whether actually set forth in the bond or recognizance, or not.

HRS § 804-51

Amended by L 2023, c 154,§ 2, eff. 6/29/2023.
L 1933, c 17, §§1, 2; RL 1935, §5461; RL 1945, §10761; RL 1955, § 256-50; HRS § 709-51; am L 1970, c 188, §39; ren L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; am L 1972, c 109, §1(b), (c); am L 1989, c 289, §1; am L 2002, c 10, §1 .

Rules of Court

See HRPP rule 46.

Applicability of rules, see HRCP rule 81(a)(8), (f), (g), (h), (i); DCRCP rule 81(a)(2).

Appeal not untimely where appealable event was order denying motion to set aside judgment of forfeiture.81 Haw. 324,916 P.2d 1225. "Good cause why execution should not issue upon the judgment" of forfeiture may be shown by defendant providing a satisfactory reason for defendant's failure to appear when required or surrendering or being surrendered prior to expiration of the thirty-day search period.81 Haw. 324,916 P.2d 1225. Where principal was surrendered, surety entitled to return of bond whether principal was actually surrendered by surety or police.81 Haw. 324,916 P.2d 1225. Circuit court's delayed entry of forfeiture judgment resulted in no prejudice to surety and did not render the judgment void or otherwise unlawful. 83 H. 118, 925 P.2d 288. Surety's motion under this section failed to make requisite showing of good cause why execution should not issue upon forfeiture judgment where principal neither surrendered nor was surrendered prior to expiration of the thirty-day search period.83 Haw. 118,925 P.2d 288. Surety not excused from liability under bail bond where surety provided no evidence that "uncontrollable circumstances" prevented it from meeting its obligations under the bond.88 H. 126 (App.), 962 P.2d 1008.