State v. Gaeta

• Court: Hawaii Supreme Court
• Decided: December 31, 2025
• Docket: SCWC-23-0000359
• Status: Published

Opinion

Electronically Filed Supreme Court SCWC-XX-XXXXXXX 31-DEC-2025 01:42 PM Dkt. 5 OGAC

SCWC-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAII ________________________________________________________________

STATE OF HAWAII, Respondent/Plaintiff-Appellee,

vs.

ASHLEY VINCENT GAETA, Petitioner/Defendant-Appellant. ________________________________________________________________

CERTIORARI TO THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS (CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX; CASE NO. 3CPC-XX-XXXXXXX)

ORDER ACCEPTING APPLICATION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI (By: McKenna, Acting C.J., Eddins, Ginoza, and Devens JJ., and Circuit Judge Holma, assigned by reason of vacancy)

The application for writ of certiorari filed on November 18,

2025, by Petitioner/Defendant-Appellant Ashley Vincent Gaeta, is

hereby accepted and will be scheduled for oral argument. The

parties will be notified by the appellate clerk regarding

scheduling.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the parties shall submit

supplemental briefing on the following: 1. Can plea agreements that allow consideration of facts and

circumstances of dismissed charges override judicial precedent

that prohibits consideration of dismissed charges?

2. Can courts consider a defendant’s lack of remorse when a

defendant pleads no contest?

Within twenty days from the date of this order, each party

shall file a supplemental brief, not exceeding twenty pages in

length, exclusive of title page(s), indices, appendices, and

certificate of service. No responses shall be filed.

DATED: Honolulu, Hawaii, December 31, 2025.

/s/ Sabrina S. McKenna

/s/ Todd W. Eddins

/s/ Lisa M. Ginoza

/s/ Vladimir P. Devens

/s/ Karin L. Holma