Background
Heather Bates petitioned the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i for a writ of certiorari following proceedings in the Intermediate Court of Appeals, Case No. CAAP-24-0000827, arising from Case No. 1DAA-24-00005.
Bates filed her certiorari application on August 11, 2026. The order does not describe the underlying dispute or the substance of the questions Bates presented.
The Court’s Holding
The Supreme Court exercised its discretion under Hawai‘i Revised Statutes § 602-59(a) and accepted Bates’ application for a writ of certiorari.
Invoking Hawai‘i Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 40.1, the court limited review to question presented “B” in Bates’ application. The court ordered that no oral argument would be heard unless a party timely moved to retain it under HRAP Rule 34(c).
Key Takeaways
- The order grants certiorari but does not resolve the merits.
- Review is confined to the petitioner’s question presented “B.”
- Oral argument is not scheduled unless a party timely seeks its retention.
Why It Matters
The order narrows the issues that may be litigated before the Hawai‘i Supreme Court. Parties should focus subsequent briefing on the single question the court retained and observe the ten-day period for any motion concerning oral argument.