Republic of Hawaii v. Ah Cheon

10 Haw. 469
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 27, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 10 Haw. 469 (Republic of Hawaii v. Ah Cheon) 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
Republic of Hawaii v. Ah Cheon, 10 Haw. 469 (haw 1896).

Opinion

OPINION OP THE COURT BY

WHITING-, J.

Tbe defendant was charged in tbe Hawaiian language, with embezzlement before tbe District Magistrate of Libue, Kauai, and pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to eight months imprisonment.

Defendant appealed to tbe Fifth Circuit Court, in which Court, tbe case being on tbe calendar, tbe defendant sought to have bis plea of guilty withdrawn and be allowed to plead anew and have a trial on tbe merits; defendant also claimed that lie ought as a matter of right to have a trial de novo; de[470]*470fendant also claimed tbat no offense was charged upon wbicb judgment could be entered and sentence passed.

The defendant made several motions which were overruled, and exceptions taken and allowed, as set forth in his bill of exceptions.

1st Exception. The decision, order and judgment of the Circuit Court, in refusing to quash the charge and conviction, and release the defendant, was erroneous and contrary to law, in that, the conviction was void; the offense of embezzlement not being charged in the District Court, the defendant could not be convicted even though pleading guilty because he plead guilty to no offense or crime in law, and the sentence was absolutely void.

The defendant submits that the plea of guilty confesses only what is properly charged; and if the charge is so defective that it sets forth no criminal offense, then no conviction can follow, and the judgment is void, and no sentence could legally be passed thereon.

The charge is claimed as defective, in that a mere conversion of goods is set out and no statutory offense; that neither larceny nor embezzlement is charged; that it sets forth merely that defendant stole the goods and converted them to his own use; that no felonious or fraudulent intent is alleged, and these words “feloniously” and “fraudulently” are necessary to make the offense embezzlement; that without these words there is merely a conversion for which a civil action only lies; that there is no statement in the charge that defendant did feloniously embezzle the goods or that he feloniously stole them.

It is unnecessary to cite authorities to the effect that a plea of guilty only confesses an offense which is properly and sufficiently charged;- — and if no offense be charged, then no conviction can be had or sentence passed, for the law is well established.

It is therefore necessary to ascertain whether the defendant was duly charged with the offense of embezzlement.

The charge was made in, and all pleas, the trial, and proceed[471]*471ings were in tbe Hawaiian language, of wbicb tbe defendant was conversant, but be was ignorant of tbe English language.

Tbe charge is as follows:—

“No kona bewa be aihue i ka waiwai i haawi ia nana e malama, oia boi na waiwai o Ab Chuck (p) be mau lole abinabina, kukaenalo, lopi, a me na pibi lole nona ka waiwai io be umi kumamaiwa 50-100 dala. Ha waiho ia keia mau waiwai ma ka lima o ka mea hoopiiia e baña a paa alaila boiboi mai i ka mea nona ka waiwai mamuh o ka booponopono ana ma ka la 10 o Eeberuari M. IT. 1896, ma Kapaia, Apana o Lihue, Mokupuni o Kauai. Aka ua lawe ka mea hoopiiia i kela mau waiwai nona ponoi ibo aole i boiboi aku i ka mea nona ka waiwai. Kue i ke Kanawai IVIokuna 18, Pauku 3 o ke Kana-wai Hoopai Karaima.”

This is with tbe necessary explanatory words, in tbe identical language of tbe Hawaiian Statute Penal Code, Chapter 18, Section 1, wbicb is as follows:

“no KA AIHUE I KA WAIWAI I HAAWIIA MAI E MALAMAIA.

Ina i haawiia kekahi waiwai i kekahi kanaka nana e malama, a hoomalu paba, me ka ae o ka mea nana ua waiwai nei, a boolilo ae oia i kela waiwai nona ibo, a no bai paba, aole no ka mea nona ka waiwai, ua bewa oia no kona lawe wale ana i ka waiwai i haawiia nana e malama.”

Sec. 1, Chap. 18, Penal Code, defines embezzlement and Sec. 3 fixes tbe penalty.

Tbe first few words of tbe charge are important, viz: — “No kona bewa” — that be (tbe defendant) is guilty — “be aihue i ka waiwai i haawiia nana e malama,” of embezzlement; tbe latter clause, “be aihue,” &c., is tbe Hawaiian version of tbe criminal offense embezzlement, and are used at tbe bead of tbe Chapter (18 Penal Code) as tbe title, “Embezzlement.”

Tbe English version is as follows: Penal Code, English Chapter 18, “Embezzlement.”

Section 1. “If any person, who is entrusted with, or has tbe possession, control, custody or keeping of a thing of value [472]*472of another, by the consent or authority, direct or indirect, of such other, without the consent and against the will of the owner, fraudulently converts or disposes of the same, or attempts so to convert or dispose of the same, to his own use and benefit, or to the use and benefit of another than the owner or person entitled thereto, he is guilty of the embezzlement of such thing.”

In the Hawaiian version there is no definite word as the equivalent of the English word “fraudulent” in the place where it is used; but the Hawaiian version however fully expresses the offense of embezzlement; the defendant, in the translation of the charge furnished to him, simply defines or translates the word “aihue” as “steal,” but this is not correct; it has a fuller and broader meaning when used in the Hawaiian version of the penal statutes; it includes all the necessary elements of larceny where “feloniously” or “fraudulently” may be used in the English.

“He aihue i ha waiwai i haawiia nana e malama” used in connection with the remainder of the charge means the felo-niously stealing and fraudulent conversion; and clearly sets forth the statutory offense of embezzlement in the Hawaiian language.

The word “aihue” is repeatedly used with its full significance in similar statutes.

Penal Code, Chapter 15, Bobbery.
Penal Code, Chapter 20, Beceiving stolen goods.
Penal Code, Chapter 16, Larceny.
Penal Code, Chapter 14, Burglary and house-breaking.

We are of the opinion that the charge sufficiently sets forth the offense of embezzlement in accordance with the Hawaiian version. There is no irreconcilable difference between the English and Hawaiian versions which can avail the defendant; the Hawaiian statute is not a translation word for word of the English, but is a version, an interpretation and fully expresses in Hawaiian the meaning and intent set forth in the English version.

There are no common law offenses known to our law, all are [473]*473statutory, and a charge of an offense made substantially in accordance with the language of the penal statute is good and sufficient.

Exception overruled.

2d Exception. The defendant had and has the right of appeal and the right to have his case tried de novo, and the Circuit Court has no right or power to dismiss the said appeal without hearing the case for the prosecution and defense de novo.

3rd Exception. The defendant was and is entitled to be tried by a jury and to have his case on appeal fully heard and determined by the Circuit Court. The right of appeal is a right that exists by law, established by judicial precedent and by statute, and the defendant cannot be deprived of it except by statute.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
10 Haw. 469, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/republic-of-hawaii-v-ah-cheon-haw-1896.