IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS
OF THE STATE OF HAWAI`I
STATE OF HAWAI`I, Plaintiff-Appellee, v.
HAROLD UHANE JIM, Defendant-Appellant
APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE THIRD CIRCUIT,
NORTH AND SOUTH HILO DIVISION
(CITATION NOS. 1702059MH and 1702060MH)
SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER
(By: Watanabe, Acting C.J., Lim and Foley, JJ.)
Defendant-Appellant Harold Uhane Jim (Jim) appeals from the Judgment entered in the District Court of the Third Circuit, North and South Hilo Division (district court), on December 12, 2000, following a bench trial (1) at which Jim was convicted of driving without a license, in violation of Hawai`i Revised Statutes (HRS) § 286-102 (1993 & Supp. 2001).
Upon careful review of the record and the briefs submitted by the parties and having given due consideration to the arguments advanced and the issues raised by the parties, we resolve Jim's points of error as follows:
(1) Jim argues that the Hawai`i County police acted without authority in issuing him a traffic citation because of his status as a beneficiary under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended. Jim's argument has no merit. The State of Hawaii, in an exercise of its police power, properly issued a traffic citation to Jim for operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license in violation of HRS § 286-102. HRS § 701-106 (1993); State v. French, 77 Hawai`i 222, 883 P.2d 644 (App. 1994).
(2) Jim argues that the district court lacked jurisdiction because of his status as a beneficiary under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended. Jim's argument has no merit. The district court properly exercised its jurisdiction in hearing the matter before it. Haw. Const. art. VI, § 1; HRS §§ 604-1(3) (1993), 604-7 (1993), 604-8 (Supps. 1998 & 1999), 604-9 (1993), and 604-11.5 (1993).
Therefore,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the December 12, 2000 Judgment of the district court is affirmed.
DATED: Honolulu, Hawai`i, May 17, 2002.
On the briefs:
Harold Uhane Jim,
defendant-appellant pro-se.
William E. Smith,
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney,
County of Hawaii,
for plaintiff-appellee.