State v. Pratt
Annotate this CaseDefendant Lloyd Pratt received three citations when he was found residing in a closed area of a state park. Pratt filed a motion to dismiss the charges, asserting as a defense that his activities were constitutionally-protected native Hawaiian practices, and citing State v. Hanapi, which defined the scope in the criminal context of the legal privilege for native Hawaiians to engage in customary or traditional native Hawaiian practices when such practices conflict with State statute or regulations. The district court denied the motion, held trial, and found Pratt guilty on all three charges. The intermediate court of appeals (ICA) affirmed. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to clarify the law surrounding the assertion of native Hawaiian rights as a defense in criminal cases. The Court affirmed, holding (1) the courts below did not err in utilizing a balancing test in this case; (2) in balancing interests, the court must consider the totality of the circumstances; and (3) under the totality of the circumstances test, Pratt's convictions must be affirmed.
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