Hawaii Revised Statutes 54-55 – Legal department
Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 54-55
- Board: means the board of water supply of each county;
"Council" means the council of each county;
"County" means a county or city and county of the State;
"County attorney" means the legal advisor of a county;
"County auditor" means the auditor or finance officer of a county performing the audit function;
"County treasurer" means the county official maintaining its treasury;
"Mayor" means the executive officer of a county. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 54-11
- county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
- Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
The county attorney shall be the legal adviser of the board of water supply and shall prosecute and defend, as the board may require, any and all actions and proceedings involving matters under its jurisdiction. The county attorney may, with the prior approval of the board, compromise, settle, or dismiss any litigation or proceedings which may be pending for, or on behalf of, or against the board relative to any matter or property under its jurisdiction.
The county attorney shall appoint and detail to the board such attorneys as the board may deem necessary to conduct its legal work, and the compensation of the attorneys so detailed shall be fixed by the board, and shall be paid from the revenues of the waterworks. The attorneys, when so appointed, shall be deputies of the county attorney, and shall be in addition to the deputies and assistants now or hereafter allowed to the county attorney by law.
The board may employ an attorney to act as its legal adviser and to represent it in any litigation to which it is a party.