Griffith Ex Rel. Griffith v. Griffith

OPINION OF THE COURT BY

KIDWELL, J.

Appellant-father initiated proceedings in the district family court to enforce custody rights under a California court order with respect to a child removed to this state from California by appellee-mother. Appellant disputes the correctness of a family court ruling that it had jurisdiction to modify the California custody decree under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, HRS chapter 583. We affirm.

The essential facts, though numerous, are not in dispute. The parties were married in California in 1971. The father had lived in California since birth;…