Sober Drivers Arrested in Hawaii: ACLU Lawsuit Accuses Police of Overzealous Drunk-Driving Enforcement

The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii has filed a lawsuit against the Honolulu Police Department, alleging that officers are arresting sober drivers in an overzealous focus on making drunk-driving arrests. The lawsuit claims that the department is driven by a "singular focus" on getting arrests for driving under the influence, even if they don't result in convictions, to secure federal funding and meet quotas. The ACLU says it became aware of the issue thanks to an investigation by Hawaii News Now reporter Lynn Kawano.

Key Takeaways:

The ACLU lawsuit alleges that Honolulu police have arrested "scores" of drivers who show no outward signs of impairment, perform well on field sobriety tests, and whose breath tests often show no alcohol.
The police department's focus on making DUI arrests has led to officers taking investigative shortcuts or making arrests without probable cause, the ACLU said.
The lawsuit claims that police officers are motivated by incentives such as the possibility of going home and still getting paid for a shift if they make a DUI arrest.
From 2002 through 2024, Honolulu police arrested 127 people with a blood-alcohol content level of 0.000.
Only 15 people were given a traffic ticket, and only three people were charged with driving under the influence of drugs.
The ACLU found a cluster of arrests at the end of the month, including an instance where two arrests were made in the same location about 20 minutes apart on August 31, 2024.
The lawsuit asks a judge to declare that the Honolulu police's practices are unconstitutional and unlawful, and seeks no monetary damages.
The cases of three plaintiffs who were arrested will be internally investigated by the police department.

Statistics:

127 people were arrested with a blood-alcohol content level of 0.000 (2002-2024)
15 people were given a traffic ticket (2002-2024)
3 people were charged with driving under the influence of drugs (2002-2024)
127 people were arrested in a cluster at the end of the month (Aug. 31, 2024)
20 minutes between two arrests in the same location (Aug. 31, 2024)

Sources:

Honolulu Police Department statement (no date)
The lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii (no date)
Hawaii News Now investigation by Lynn Kawano (no date)