Kahaikupuna v. State

124 P.3d 975, 109 Haw. 230
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 5, 2006
Docket26850
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 124 P.3d 975 (Kahaikupuna v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kahaikupuna v. State, 124 P.3d 975, 109 Haw. 230 (haw 2006).

Opinions

[231]*231Opinion of the Court by

ACOBA, J.

Plaintiffs-Appellants Daniel Lealoha Ka-haikupuna and Frederick Ponce [collectively, Plaintiffs] appeal from the September 22, 2004 judgment of the circuit court of the second circuit1 (the court) in favor of Defendants-Appellees the State of Hawai'i (the State), and the County of Maui (the County) [collectively, Defendants]. Plaintiffs also challenge the court’s August 31, 2004 findings of fact (findings), conclusions of law (conclusions) and order granting Defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint. Because we hold that Plaintiffs’ challenges to Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) § 711-1109(1) (Supp.2004) and Chapter 9.08.010 of the Maui County Code (MCC)2 are not proper subjects for a declaratory judgment, we vacate the September 22, 2004 judgment and the aforesaid findings, conclusions, and order and remand the case to the court to enter summary judgment in favor of the County on its motion and in favor of the State on its join-der to the County’s motion and to enter judgment thereon on the grounds set forth herein.

I.

On May 28, 2004, Plaintiffs filed a complaint under the provisions of HRS § 632-1 (1993),3 asking the court to enter a declaratory judgment to the effect that coekfighting is a native Hawaiian customary right protected pursuant to article XII, section 7 of the State Constitution 4 and HRS § 7-1 (1993).5 Plaintiffs named the State and the County as parties in the suit. Cockfighting is prohibited under State6 and County7 laws. Plain[232]*232tiffs have not been charged with a criminal offense.

In the complaint, Plaintiffs represented that they are descendants of native Hawaiians who inhabited the Hawaiian Islands pri- or to 1778. They further asserted that cockfighting is a “traditional native Hawaiian cultural practice.” Plaintiffs requested “entry of adjudgment declaring, determining, and resolving Plaintiffs’ legal status, rights and privileges” and “entry of judgment declaring that Plaintiffs have the right to practice raising and fighting roosters as part of their culture.”

On July 16,2004, the County filed a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs’ complaint for lack of jurisdiction. The County argued that Plaintiffs failed to “allege an ‘actual controversy’ ” because Plaintiffs failed to plead that they have either been charged with or convicted of violations pursuant to State or County laws, and, therefore, the court was “depriv[ed]” of subject matter jurisdiction. The County also argued that “[e]ven if the [cjourt had jurisdiction, Plaintiffs’ [cjomplaint fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.”

On July 22, 2004, the State filed a substantive joinder in the County’s Hawaii Rules of Civil Procedure (HRCP) Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss (joinder). The State asked the court to treat the County’s motion to dismiss as one for summary judgment pursuant to HRCP Rules 12(c) and 66 (2004)8 because the County’s motion to dismiss included matters outside of the pleadings.

On August 19, 2004, Plaintiffs filed a memorandum in opposition to both the County’s motion to dismiss and the State’s joinder, arguing that (1) by virtue of HRS § 632-1, infra, the court has jurisdiction to grant declaratory relief for (a) “[cjontroversies involving the interpretation of ... statutes, municipal ordinances, and other governmental regulations (b) when “antagonistic claims are present between the parties which indicate imminent and inevitable litigation,” or (e) “where the court is satisfied that a party asserts a legal[ j relation, status, right, or privilege ... and that there is a challenge ... by an adversary party who also has or asserts a concrete interest therein, and the court is satisfied also that a declaratory judgment will serve to terminate the uncertainty or controversy giving rise to the proceeding^]” (2) Plaintiffs’ action is ripe, (3) Plaintiffs have standing, and (4) the complaint does state a claim. In a declaration, Plaintiff Kahaikupuna stated that although he has never been charged with or convicted of a crime, he faces the “real, immediate and adverse threat of criminal prosecution ... for practicing the traditional Hawaiian custom of coekfighting[,j” and that the threat is a “serious threat which impacts my life as well as the lives of the members of my family.”

On August 31, 2004, the court issued its findings, conclusions, and order granting Defendants’ motion to dismiss. The court determined that as a matter of law (1) it had jurisdiction over the subject matter of the action and Plaintiffs had standing, (2) the claims were ripe in that competing interests were likely to lead to litigation if Plaintiffs should attempt to exercise their claimed rights, (3) the motion to dismiss should be decided under the provisions of Rule 56 of the HRCP, rather than under Rule 12 because there were matters presented to the court that were outside the pleadings, and (4) summary judgment should be granted against Plaintiffs on the merits.9

[233]*233Plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal on September 27, 2004.

II.

On appeal, Plaintiffs contend that the court erred in ruling that (1) raising and fighting roosters was not a customary traditional practice of Native Hawaiians, despite substantial and uncontested evidence in the record to the contrary, or at least there was a genuine issue of fact as to the existence of such a practice, (2) pursuant to chapter 24 of the Kingdom of Hawai'i Penal Code enacted in 1884, raising and fighting roosters was not a right customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence or cultural purposes by native Hawaiians, and (3) such a right is not protected by article XII, section 7 of the Hawai'i Constitution. Plaintiffs state that they make “no contention that any of the existing state laws regarding cockfighting were unconstitutional” and they “do not ask for declaration that any state or county laws were unconstitutional.”

In response, the State argues that (1) summary judgment was proper because cockfighting is not a constitutionally or statutorily protected Native Hawaiian customary right, (2) summary judgment was correct because Plaintiffs have not set forth specific facts to show that there are any genuine issues of material fact, (3) the court properly ruled that the State exercised its constitutional right to regulate Native Hawaiian customary practices, and (4) declaratory judgment is improper because the issue of whether cockfighting is a Native Hawaiian customary right is not ripe for review.

The County agrees with the State’s first and second arguments and also contends that (1) chapter 24 of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s penal code outlawed more than merely keeping or managing a place used for cockfighting, (2) neither the County nor the State prohibits the raising of roosters, (3) there are no disputed material facts, and (4) Plaintiffs have failed to overcome the presumption that the County’s anti-cockfighting ordinances are valid.

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Bluebook (online)
124 P.3d 975, 109 Haw. 230, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kahaikupuna-v-state-haw-2006.