Committee moves to executive session to consider legal settlements and special-counsel funding

Following open-session business, the Committee on International and Legal Affairs moved into executive session to consult with counsel about several legal matters listed on the agenda, citing HRS section 92-4 and HRS section 92-5(a)(4).

The agenda items referred to executive session included: (1) a resolution requesting additional funds for Kobayashi Subita Godo as special counsel representing defendants in Honolulu Liquor Commission-related litigation involving persons identified on the agenda as Jacob Fears and Catherine Fontaine and the legal action entitled Scarlet Honolulu versus Honolulu Liquor Commission; (2) a request for authorization to settle a lawsuit entitled Lisa and Deguma Deguro versus City and County of Honolulu; and (3) a request for authorization to settle a case entitled Allen Bryant versus City and County of Honolulu. The chair read each item into the record and offered an opportunity for public testimony; no in-person or remote testimony was offered for those items in the public portion of the meeting.

The committee recorded that the following persons would participate in the executive session: all council members present and the following corporation counsel staff — Dwayne Pang, Maria Cook, Kaliko Warrington, Paige O'Gata, Courtney Wong, Paula O'oki, Wynton Park, Dana Pitcher and Saichi Layu. The chair announced the executive session was convened under the stated statutory authority to allow closed consultation with attorneys regarding the city’s powers, duties, privileges, immunities and liabilities on the listed items.

No votes or settlement outcomes for the listed cases were announced in open session. The public record from the meeting shows the items were referred to and taken up in executive session; any final authorizations, settlements, funding amounts or motions arising from the closed meeting were not disclosed in the public portion of the transcript.