State v. Bani

Opinion of the Court by

RAMIL, J.

This appeal involves a challenge to the constitutionality of Hawaii’s sex offender registration and notification statute, codified at Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) chapter 846E (Supp.2000). The arguments advanced implicate the inherent tensions between safety and freedom that exist in any democracy. The question ultimately raised is how the people of Hawaii may protect themselves against future offenses by those prone to recidivism without jeopardizing the constitutional rights of persons who have already paid the price imposed by law for their crimes.…