Family Court Moves to Kapolei

FAMILY COURT MOVES TO KAPOLEI

The Family Court of the First Circuit, which covers all of Oahu, has moved from its downtown Honolulu location (777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813), to the new Judiciary complex in Kapolei (4675 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, Hawaii 96707), on March 29, 2010. (Google map of the new location – it’s still so new that it’s not on the map — look at the developing lot just to the right of the Costco site)

The Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei includes a 126,215-SF Court Center building which houses the First Circuit Family Court and other judiciary functions, a 52,305-square-foot Juvenile Detention Center, and a 15,384-square-foot central plant. The mission of this centralized complex is to provide a proper forum for a wide diversity of Family Court and other cases, and allow for flexibility in responding to changing judicial needs and future growth. It provides a symbolic focus for the community’s commitment to the safety, well-being and fair treatment of children and families. The Juvenile Detention Center is intended to share a similar design vocabulary as the Court building. It has a residential character without the institutional appearance of typical detention facilities. This is consistent with the restorative and rehabilitative nature of this facility and is compatible with the adjacent residential neighborhood. The complex includes areas for administration, hearings, staff facilities, admissions, visiting, health care, laundry, and food service.

Tips and notes on the Kapolei Courthouse

• Traveling:  People who live in the Honolulu area should budget extra travel time for getting to Kapolei in time for their hearings — it’s approximately 21 miles from downtown.  Typically, it takes us about 35-40 minutes from downtown Honolulu to the Kapolei Courthouse, but your times may vary.
• Access:  The fastest access to the Courthouse from H-1 is via the Campbell exit (exit 1) by the waterpark, then heading toward Kapolei town on the overpass, the Honolulu Advertiser building will be on your right, where you will turn left at the first traffic light.  After the turn, Costco will be on your immediate right, and the Courthouse is the next lot over.  You can also take the original Kapolei exit (exit 2), which is on the other end of Kapolei, near the Kapolei Shopping Center and the new Wal-Mart, but you will need to drive across the commercial to get to the Courthouse — the exit 1 access is usually much faster.
• Parking:  Bring quarters!  The Courthouse parking lot is all meter-run, at 50¢ per hour, up to four hours, and only takes quarters.  Also, as the Family Court shares this lot with the Waianae District Court, parking can be tight – any other public parking is fairly far away.
• Courtrooms:  The courtrooms for divorces, paternities, TROs, and guardianships are on the 3rd floor; courtrooms for juvenile criminal cases and child protective services/child welfare services cases are on the 2nd floor (although some divorce hearings are being heard on the 2nd floor as well); Family Court filing clerks are on the 1st floor, as well as the Waianae District Court.  The 4th floor houses offices for the Court personnel and judges.
• Filing documents:  Filing of Family Court documents may be done at either the old Honolulu location or the new Kapolei Courthouse.