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HRS §806-85

When a judge must check if there is enough reason to arrest

When a criminal charge is filed, a judge must review it to decide if there is enough reason to believe a crime happened and the accused did it. The judge can use evidence that might not be allowed at trial. If the judge finds enough reason, the judge sets bail and orders an arrest warrant.

courts

The statute, as written — Probable cause

(a) When an information is filed, the court having jurisdiction shall review the information and its exhibit to determine whether there is probable cause to believe that the offense charged was committed and that the defendant committed the offense charged. (b) A finding of the existence of probable cause or lack thereof may be based in whole or in part upon hearsay evidence or upon evidence that may ultimately be ruled to be inadmissible at the trial. (c) If the court finds that there is probable cause to believe that the offense charged was committed and that the defendant committed the offense charged, the court shall set bail and direct the clerk to issue a warrant for the arrest of the defendant. (d) As used in this section, "court having jurisdiction" and "court" mean the circuit court; provided that the chief justice may by order authorize district court judges to make probable cause determinations, set bail, and direct the issuance of arrest warrants, as provided by this section.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.