Background
Isaac Moreno filed a petition for writ of mandamus and/or prohibition on December 19, 2025, followed by a motion to stay and a first amended petition for an extraordinary writ. The original proceeding concerned Family Court case numbers 1FDV-24-0002415 and 1FDA-25-0000900.
The court considered the petitions, the stay motion, and the record. It also addressed several docket filings containing personal information or an income-withholding notice.
The Court’s Holding
The Supreme Court of Hawaiʻi denied Moreno’s petitions because he had not shown a clear and indisputable right to relief or that no alternative means existed to obtain the requested relief. The court stated that normal appellate procedures were an available alternative.
Because the petitions were denied, the court denied the stay motion as moot. It further ordered docket 1 to remain sealed because it contained unredacted names of minors, directed the clerk to file a redacted version, struck docket 5 for unredacted personal information, and kept docket 12 sealed because it contained an income-withholding notice.
Key Takeaways
- Extraordinary writ relief requires a clear and indisputable right to relief.
- A petitioner must show that ordinary appellate procedures are unavailable or inadequate.
- Filings containing protected personal information or income-withholding materials may be sealed or stricken.
Why It Matters
The order reinforces the narrow availability of mandamus and prohibition when ordinary appellate review remains available. It also underscores litigants’ obligations to comply with court-record privacy rules, particularly in family-court-related matters.