Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-671
HRS § 706-671
COMMENTARY ON § 706-671
This section provides for a result which the Code deems fair. It provides that time spent in incarceration before sentence or, where a prior conviction or sentence has been vacated, before resentence be credited against the minimum and maximum terms of imprisonment. While it is true that most felons will be paroled prior to the expiration of the maximum term authorized by statute, nevertheless this section provides for some equalization, in the remaining felony cases and in misdemeanor cases, between those defendants who obtain pre-sentence release and those who do not.
SUPPLEMENTAL COMMENTARY ON § 706-671
The Legislature in enacting the Code changed 671, as set forth in the Proposed Draft, to provide that a convicted person shall receive credit for any time served in any state or local correctional facility against both the minimum and maximum term of imprisonment. This provides for those few instances where the Code or other statutes provide for minimum terms of imprisonment. Cf. § 706-606, as enacted.
Act 50, Session Laws 2012, amended this section by clarifying that a defendant would not earn credit for time served for a subsequent crime while the defendant is serving an imprisonment sentence for a separate, unrelated offense. The legislature found that the existing language of and case law related to this section has led to ambiguities and inconsistencies by the parties involved in a criminal case. Act 50 created uniform application and deterred imprisoned offenders from incurring new offenses. Senate Standing Committee Report No. 3188.
Imprisonment required for credit to be applied to second sentence for the same crime. 69 H. 407, 744 P.2d 84. Imprisonment served under a previous term of probation is not required to be credited towards defendant's new term of probation. 71 H. 73, 783 P.2d 292. Defendant was not entitled to credit for time served while on probation.71 Haw. 612,801 P.2d 1206. No credit applied towards probation sentence for time served in a federal prison for unrelated federal offenses. 72 H. 230, 813 P.2d 854. Where defendant was sentenced to serve six months of imprisonment as a condition of probation, the six months of imprisonment was time spent imprisoned for purposes of subsection (2); when defendant was subsequently sentenced to serve maximum term of one year of imprisonment, circuit court was required under subsection (2) to deduct the time served in prison from the maximum one-year term of imprisonment.78 Haw. 343,893 P.2d 194. A sentence that credits a defendant with the time served for an unrelated offense is illegal because the sentencing court is not authorized by this chapter to grant such a credit. 94 H. 250, 11 P.3d 1094. Under this section, a defendant is entitled to have presentence credit applied only once against the aggregate of defendant's consecutive sentences. 96 H. 195, 29 P.3d 914. Defendant claiming uncredited time served in confinement under subsection (1) is entitled to prove entitlement to the credit and to subpoena relevant documents as are necessary in aid thereof. 79 H. 175 (App.), 900 P.2d 172. Based on subsection (1) and § 706-624, sentencing court would have no authority to sentence defendant to five years' probation and more than one year in prison; furthermore, the court was required to credit defendant for time already served in pre-trial detention.79 Haw. 317 (App.),901 P.2d 1296. Defendant not entitled to credit for time served in another state where imprisonment in other state was for another crime, not for any of the crimes for which defendant was sentenced in Hawaii. 84 H. 191 (App.), 932 P.2d 328. Subsection (1) does not afford a defendant the right to credit against the sentence imposed against him or her for the time that the defendant spent in prison, post-arrest and pre-sentence as a consequence of a different charge or conviction. 91 H. 163 (App.), 981 P.2d 720.