A lawsuit was recently filed in the State of Hawaii challenging the constitutionality of Hawaii’s prohibition on “switchblade” or automatic knives. § 134-52 prohibits the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, or transport in the state of any switchblade knife. The Hawaii definition is based on the 1958 Federal Switchblade Act and was enacted in 1959, the same year that Hawaii became a U.S. State. The Hawaii statute does not contain the wording of the 2009 amendment to the Federal Switchblade Act, which excludes knives with a “bias toward closure.”
The complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court, District of Hawaii, and includes a witness declaration from attorney and knife expert Dan Lawson. The American Knife & Tool Institute’s (AKTI) knife law information, as well as several analyses and court case summaries available on the AKTI’s website, are referenced in the complaint.
Mr. Lawson is the anticipated expert witness for the plaintiffs. He has been an invaluable asset to the American Knife & Tool Institute and its mission to provide reliable, accurate, and up-to-date information about everything knife law related.