HRS §804-15
Witness promises to appear in court
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗When a judge sends a case to trial or sets bail, the judge can make witnesses promise in writing to show up in court. If a witness refuses to sign that promise, the judge can put them in jail until they sign or testify.
courts
The statute, as written — Recognizance
A copy, taken August 20, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
In all cases where a magistrate either commits for trial or bail the accused, the magistrate may cause each of the witnesses who has been examined and has testified to any material fact or circumstance in the case to enter into a recognizance, with or without surety, at the magistrate's discretion, in a sum fixed by the magistrate, conditioned for the witness' appearance at the sitting of the court at which the accused is bound or committed to appear. If a witness refuses to sign the recognizance when required, the witness may be committed to jail by the order of the magistrate, and shall be confined until the witness is brought before the court to testify, or until the witness gives the recognizance. [PC 1869, c 50, §13; RL 1925, §3991; RL 1935, §5445; RL 1945, §10745; RL 1955, §256-15; HRS §709-15; ren L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; gen ch 1985]
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.