Discretion, Race, & Gender: Prosecuting Power in Territorial Hawai'i

This free one credit ethics CLE explores how prosecutorial discretion in Territorial Hawai‘i functioned as a racialized and gendered tool of colonial power, using the unexpected leniency in Territory v. Tangonan to illuminate these dynamics. By examining the Territory’s legal structure, racialized narratives of “Filipino criminality,” and the patriarchal devaluation of working-class women, the program examines how intersecting race and gender hierarchies shaped charging decisions, plea bargaining, and punishment in ways doctrine alone cannot explain. The CLE is presented by Maui attorney Lance D. Collins.

Free but registration is required: https://forms.gle/pJ98bWSftcf4jGQ96