Question: Is any participant in a court case allowed to bring their dog into court? If no, on what basis is Ms. Kawananakoa afforded this privilege? Maybe the dog is a service animal? If that’s the case, would any person with a service dog be allowed to bring it to court?
Answer: “Girlie Girl is a service dog. As with all service dogs, the Judiciary authorizes Ms. Kawananakoa to bring Girlie Girl to court with her,” Michael A. Lilly, one of Abigail Kawananakoa’s lawyers, said in an email.
Several readers have noticed that Kawananakoa, the 92-year-old Campbell Estate heiress of royal Hawaiian descent, holds the Chihuahua on her lap in court hearings. She’s been in court recently because of a legal dispute about her health and wealth.
In September a judge ruled that Kawananakoa lacks the mental capacity to manage her $215 million trust. Now she wants a judge to sign off on changes to ensure that her wife, Veronica Gail Worth, eventually receives $40 million and her personal property, including the dog, The Associated Press reported.
We also posed your questions to Andrew Laurence, a spokesman for the state Judiciary, who said, “The Judiciary cannot comment on the case of any particular individual for privacy reasons.”
Speaking generally, he said that people are not allowed to bring pet dogs into the courtroom. Service dogs, however, are “allowed into all areas where court clients are usually allowed to go and should be allowed access to Judiciary facilities, activities, services and programs,” he said.
The Judiciary website, 808ne.ws/adajud, explains that the person with the service dog must have a disability for which the dog is trained to assist.
Sears warranties
As we said Monday, “extended warranties” purchased for appliances and other products are service contracts, paid for separately beyond the product’s basic price. They are regulated by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Insurance Division under Chapter 481X of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.
William Nhieu, a DCCA spokesman, said Sears Protection Co., a subsidiary of the parent company, is registered under that chapter.
With Sears in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and its Hawaii stores up for sale, readers are wondering about their extended warranties. Sears says warranties, protection agreements and guarantees on products that customers have already purchased or might purchase in the future will be honored, including the Sears Home Warranty, a service contract covering multiple appliances in a household; it is underwritten and run by an outside company.
Nhieu said consumers should contact Sears directly if they need more information about their service contracts.
Mahalo
A big mahalo to a stranger who went out her way to right a wrong. At about 2 p.m. Nov. 27, across from Longs Ala Moana in the covered parking lot, I was waiting in my car with my blinker on for a space that was becoming available. As the car exited, a car coming from the opposite side quickly slid in. A young woman walking by witnessed this; she shook her head and went directly to the other driver. She must have told her to move, because in a moment that driver pulled out and drove away. I was speechless to realize that a total stranger cared enough to go out of her way to correct this situation. It was a brave thing to do. I didn’t get to thank her, so I hope she reads this and knows how much I appreciated her kindness and bravery in her quick action. We need more people like her to make this a better world, and it gives me renewed faith in mankind. May her life be forever blessed! Thank you! — Grateful senior
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
