Honolulu Citation Contest — District Court Trial De Novo
Under Honolulu ROH Chapter 15-22 and HRS Chapter 291C, parking citations contested in Honolulu proceed initially through administrative review, but a contestant can demand a trial de novo in District Court. Many citations don't survive the higher evidentiary standard. The City must produce the issuing officer to testify; if officer doesn't appear or has retired/transferred, dismissal often follows. Trial de novo is your right — use it for stronger cases.
Legal basis
HRS §291C-165 (contest procedures); Honolulu ROH 15-22; HRS §291D (civil traffic violations); Hawaii District Court Rules of Civil Procedure
Sample appeal wording
Honolulu District Court — Civil Traffic Division\nDEMAND FOR TRIAL DE NOVO\nRe: Citation #[CITATION_NUMBER]\n\nTo the Court:\n\nUnder HRS §291D and Honolulu ROH 15-22, I, [NAME], demand a trial de novo on the above citation.\n\nI further respectfully request the Court:\n1. Subpoena Officer [NAME / Badge #] to appear and testify\n2. Compel production of body camera / dashcam footage if available\n3. Compel production of the issuing officer's contemporaneous notes\n\nI deny the violation and will present evidence and testimony at trial.\n\nDated: [DATE]\n[NAME]\n[ADDRESS]\n[PHONE]
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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Scan my ticketSources
- HRS §291D
- HRS §291C-165
- Honolulu ROH Chapter 15-22
- Hawaii District Court Civil Traffic