2013 Hawaii Revised Statutes
TITLE 37. HAWAII PENAL CODE
707. Offenses Against the Person
707-763 Collection of extensions of credit by extortionate means.

§707-763 Collection of extensions of credit by extortionate means. (1) "Collection of extensions of credit by extortionate means" includes knowingly participating in any way, or conspiring to do so, in the use of any extortionate means:

(a) To collect or attempt to collect any extension of credit; or

(b) To punish any person for the nonrepayment thereof.

(2) In any prosecution under this part, for the purpose of showing an implicit threat as a means of collection, evidence may be introduced tending to show that one or more extensions of credit by the creditor were, to the knowledge of the person against whom the implicit threat was alleged to have been made, collected or attempted to be collected by extortionate means or that the nonrepayment thereof was punished by extortionate means.

(3) In any prosecution under this part, if evidence has been introduced tending to show the existence, at the time the extension of credit in question was made, of the circumstances described in subsection (2)(a) or subsection (2)(b) of section 707-761 and direct evidence of the actual belief of the debtor as to the creditor's collection practices is not available, then for the purpose of showing that words or other means of communication, shown to have been employed as a means of collection, in fact carried an express or implicit threat, the court may in its discretion allow evidence to be introduced tending to show the reputation of the defendant in any community of which the person against whom the alleged threat was made was a member at the time of collection or attempt at collection. [L 1979, c 106, pt of §1; am L 1980, c 232, §39]

COMMENTARY ON §§707-760 TO 763

Act 106, Session Laws 1979, established these sections to extend Hawaii's extortion laws to prohibit extortionate credit transactions.