Dawson v. Lanham

488 P.2d 329, 53 Haw. 76, 1971 Haw. LEXIS 79
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 13, 1971
Docket5191
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 488 P.2d 329 (Dawson v. Lanham) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dawson v. Lanham, 488 P.2d 329, 53 Haw. 76, 1971 Haw. LEXIS 79 (haw 1971).

Opinions

[77]*77OPINION OF THE COURT BY

KOBAYASHI, J.

Petitioners filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus. The respondents were ordered to show cause why a writ of habeas corpus should not issue releasing petitioners from incarceration. The following facts are pertinent:

Petitioners were indicted on January 27, 1971, on the charge of murder in the first degree. On March 23,1971, bail was set by Judge John C. Lanham, judge of the circuit court of the first circuit, at $25,000.00 for each petitioner. Petitioners have been unable to meet bail.

On June 18, 1971, after a hearing in the circuit court, Judge Lanham issued an order quashing the indictment against petitioners and directing that petitioners be released forthwith without prejudice to the State’s right to seek reindictment before another and separate grand jury. The indictment was quashed for a statement made to the grand jury by Michael A. Weight, deputy prosecuting attorney, who said: “* * * as Mr. Chung has charged * * * Cole Kekahuna has been in jail for three and one-half months, and as Mr. Chung says, he has decided to make a clean breast.” On June 25, 1971, the State filed notice of appeal from the order quashing the indictment.

On June 29, 1971, a hearing was held before the Honorable John C. Lanham, at which time he rejected petitioners’ contentions that they should be released forthwith and their bail exonerated in accordance with the judge’s order of June 18, 1971, quashing the indictment against the petitioners. Instead, Judge Lanham issued the following order:

“* * * It is hereby ordered that execution of the Order of this Court dated June 18, 1971, quashing the indictment * * * is hereby stayed pending the disposition of the appeal on said order.
“It is hereby further ordered that bail * * * be continued in the amount of $25,000.00 for each defendant, pending the disposition of the said appeal; and it is further hereby ordered that the State shall expedite said appeal without undue delay * *

[78]*78On July 7, 1971, the duplicate notice of appeal was forwarded by the clerk of the circuit court to the clerk of the supreme court.

The record fails to show any notification of the filing of the notice of appeal by the State to the adverse parties.

The question before the court is whether the order issued by Judge Lanham which purported to stay the execution of the quashing of the indictment and to continue the requirement of bail of the petitioners is a valid one. The answer depends on whether the trial court retained jurisdiction to amend its initial order quashing the indictment notwithstanding the filing of the notice of appeal by the State. There is a further question relating to the discharge of petitioners if the amended order is invalid.

I. STATUTORY PROVISIONS AND HAWAII RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

In regard to appeal in criminal cases H.R.Cr.P. Rule 37 provides as follows:

“(a) Bills of Exceptions and Writs of Error Abolished. Bills of exceptions and writs of error, as they have heretofore existed in cases now governed by these rules, are abolished and wherever by law the judgment, sentence or other order of a circuit court may be reviewed by the supreme court on appeal, bills of exceptions or writs of error, the sole method of review shall be pursuant to an appeal perfected in the manner provided by this rule.
“(b) Notice of Appeal. An appeal permitted by law from the circuit court to the supreme court is taken by filing with the clerk of the circuit court a notice of appeal in duplicate. The notice of appeal shall set forth the title of the case, the party or parties taking the appeal and shall designate the judgment, order, or part thereof, appealed from. The notice shall be signed by appellant or appellant’s attorney or by the clerk if the notice is prepared by the clerk, as provided in subdivision (d) of [79]*79this rule. The notice of appeal shall be liberally construed in favor of sufficiency. The duplicate notice of appeal shall be forwarded immediately by the clerk of the circuit court to the clerk of the supreme court. Notification of the filing of the notice of appeal shall be given by appellant by serving the same on adverse parties in the manner provided for the service of papers under these rules, but appellant’s failure so to do does not affect the validity of the appeal.
«(c) * # *
«(d) * * *
“(e) Appeal by Government. An appeal by the government when authorized by statute may be taken within 10 days after entry of the judgment or order appealed from.”

To resolve the question of the right of the State to appeal in criminal cases, we rely on HRS §-641-12 which provides the following:

“§ 641-12. By State in criminal cases. A writ of error1 may be taken by and in behalf of the state from the district or circuit courts direct to the supreme court in all criminal cases, in-the following instances:
“(1) From an order or judgment quashing * * * any indictment or information or any count thereof; * * * 99

II. ARGUMENT OF THE STATE

The State contends that H.R.Cr.P. Rule 38(a)(2) is applicable. The rule provides:

“(a) Stay of Execution.
“(1) RESERVED.
[80]*80“(2) By Appeal. The filing of a notice of appeal shall operate as a stay of execution, and shall suspend the operation of any sentence or order of probation; if, however, the defendant is not admitted to bail, he may elect to commence service of sentence as provided by law. The giving of oral notice in open court at the time of sentence by the defendant or his counsel of intention to take an appeal shall likewise operate as a stay of execution of any sentence or order of probation, but such stay shall not be operative beyond the time within which an appeal may be taken.”

We are of the opinion that the above rule has a limited application to suspend the operation of any imposition of criminal sentence or order of probation upon appeal taken by defendants in criminal cases. The history of the rule shows reliance on § 212-6, R.L.H. 1955, which is now HRS § 641-16.2

III. ARGUMENT OF THE PETITIONERS

The substance of petitioners’ argument is that the trial court lost jurisdiction over the matter when the notice of appeal was filed and that it had no power to amend the order quashing the indictment and discharging the petitioners.

IV. CONCLUSION

It is well established in this jurisdiction that generally, when a case in a civil proceeding is appealed to the supreme court, the circuit court loses jurisdiction-except as to issuance of certain orders in aid of, and that do not interfere with, the jurisdiction of the supreme court. Kealoha v. Tanaka, 42 Haw. 630 at 635 (1958); explained Kealoha v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
488 P.2d 329, 53 Haw. 76, 1971 Haw. LEXIS 79, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dawson-v-lanham-haw-1971.