Mcaneeley v. Fukushima

CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 6, 2026
DocketCAAP-24-0000298
StatusPublished

This text of Mcaneeley v. Fukushima (Mcaneeley v. Fukushima) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mcaneeley v. Fukushima, (hawapp 2026).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI‘I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Electronically Filed Intermediate Court of Appeals CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX 06-MAR-2026 10:26 AM Dkt. 63 SO

NO. CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE STATE OF HAWAIʻI

LINDSAY N. MCANEELEY, Petitioner-Appellee, v. DOREEN FUKUSHIMA, Respondent-Appellant

APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT HONOLULU DIVISION (CASE NO. 1DSS-XX-XXXXXXX)

SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER (By: Nakasone, Chief Judge, Wadsworth and Guidry, JJ.)

Respondent-Appellant Doreen Fukushima (Fukushima)

appeals from the "Injunction Against Harassment" (Injunction)

entered on March 22, 2024 by the District Court of the First

Circuit 1 (district court).

In the underlying case, Petitioner-Appellee Lindsay N.

McAneeley (McAneeley) filed a "Petition for Ex Parte Temporary

1 The Honorable Shellie K. Park-Hoapili presided. NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI‘I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Restraining Order [(TRO)] and for Injunction Against Harassment"

(Petition) against Fukushima. On March 11, 2024, the district

court granted McAneeley's Petition for a TRO, prohibiting

Fukushima from "contacting, threatening, or physically

harassing" McAneeley. Fukushima was served with the TRO on

March 18, 2024. On March 22, 2024, following a trial on the

Petition at which Fukushima was self-represented, the district

court issued the Injunction. 2

Fukushima asserts three points of error on appeal,

contending that the district court erred by: (1) "violat[ing]

[Fukushima's] constitutional rights to substantive and

procedural due process of law" by not "advis[ing] [Fukushima] at

the commencement of the case that [Fukushima] had a right to be

represented by counsel," and by not "advis[ing] [Fukushima] that

if she needed more time to obtain counsel or prepare for the

hearing she could make such a request"; (2) "violat[ing]

[Fukushima's] constitutional right to freedom of speech when it

allowed [McAneeley's] counsel to introduce two exhibits

(Exhibits 8 and 9) into evidence even though they were not

addressed to [McAneeley] and [Fukushima] stated that her posts

were protected by her right to freedom of speech"; and (3)

"determin[ing] that [McAneeley] had proved by clear and

2 The district court denied McAneeley's request for attorney's fees, as well as Fukushima's request to be compensated for income lost during the time she was in court to defend against the Petition. 2 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI‘I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

convincing evidence that [Fukushima] had committed harassment as

defined by [Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS)] §[ ]604-10.5(a)(2)

[(2016)]."

Upon careful review of the record, briefs, and

relevant legal authorities, and having given due consideration

to the arguments advanced and the issues raised by the parties,

we resolve Fukushima's points of error as follows:

(1) Fukushima contends that the district court

violated her due process rights by not advising her "that [she]

had a right to be represented by counsel," and that she could

request a continuance "if she needed additional time to prepare

for the hearing." (Formatting altered.) "We review questions

of constitutional law de novo, under the right/wrong standard."

Jou v. Dai-Tokyo Royal State Ins. Co., 116 Hawaiʻi 159, 164-65,

172 P.3d 471, 476-77 (2007) (cleaned up).

The underlying TRO proceeding is civil in nature. See

Duarte v. Young, 134 Hawaiʻi 459, 463, 342 P.3d 878, 882 (App.

2014) ("[T]he purpose of HRS § 604-10.5 was to prevent

harassment that cannot be effectively controlled by criminal

processes and penalties and to adopt a civil statute that can be

used to interrupt systematic and continuous intimidation that

stops short of assault or threats." (cleaned up)). Parties to a

civil case have no constitutional right to the assistance of

counsel, though courts have acknowledged the right of civil 3 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI‘I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

litigants to retain and fund counsel of their choice. See Adir

Int'l, LLC v. Starr Indem. & Liab. Co., 994 F.3d 1032, 1039 (9th

Cir. 2021) (recognizing that "courts have generally acknowledged

a civil litigant's Fifth Amendment due process right to retain

and fund the counsel of their choice." (citation omitted)).

Here, the record reflects that the TRO provided notice

to Fukushima that she had the right to retain an attorney to

represent her at the hearing:

Prior to the scheduled hearing date, you or your attorney may file a written response explaining, excusing, justifying, or denying the alleged act or acts of harassment. At the hearing, the parties shall be prepared to testify, call and examine witnesses, present any documents, and give legal or factual reasons why the Injunction should or should not be granted. Each party may be represented by an attorney and shall be prepared to proceed at the hearing. IF YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY FAIL TO ATTEND AT THE TIME AND PLACE DESIGNATED, AN ORDER GRANTING PETITION FOR INJUNCTION AGAINST HARASSMENT WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST YOU FOR THE RELIEF DEMANDED IN THE PETITION.

At the hearing on the Petition, the district court

asked Fukushima whether she had received a copy of the TRO (she

had), and whether she agreed to an injunction (she expressed

that she wanted to challenge the Petition). At that time, the

district court raised the option of a continuance, informing the

parties that "[it] can either continue -- the TRO's in place

until -- it's certified till June." Fukushima indicated that

she wished to proceed with trial that day, and that she was

willing to wait until the district court could recall the case

for trial later that day. Following an hour-long recess, during

4 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI‘I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

which the district court addressed other matters to which it had

referred, the district court recalled the case, and asked the

parties if they were ready for trial. Fukushima replied, "[d]id

my best, Your Honor."

In Luat v. Cacho, upon which Fukushima relies, this

court clarified that "a TRO, in view of its emergency remedial

nature, may be granted ex parte," but "a respondent who, either

orally or in writing, denies or controverts the material

allegations contained in a petition for injunction under HRS

§ 604-10.5 is statutorily and constitutionally entitled to a

prior evidentiary hearing before a three-year injunction order

may issue." 92 Hawaiʻi 330, 346, 991 P.2d 840, 856 (App. 1999).

We therefore held that, "[g]iven the serious consequences that

may flow from such an injunction order, a respondent must be

given a reasonable time to obtain the services of a lawyer,

conduct discovery, obtain documentary and testimonial evidence,

and prepare a proper defense to the allegations raised in the

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Related

Luat v. Cacho
991 P.2d 840 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 1999)
Jou v. Dai-Tokyo Royal State Insurance Co.
172 P.3d 471 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2007)
Duarte v. Young
342 P.3d 878 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2014)

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Bluebook (online)
Mcaneeley v. Fukushima, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcaneeley-v-fukushima-hawapp-2026.