State v. Kealoha.

414 P.3d 98, 142 Haw. 46
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 15, 2018
DocketSCWC-14-0001195; SCWC-14-0001196; SCWC-14-0001197
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 414 P.3d 98 (State v. Kealoha.) 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
State v. Kealoha., 414 P.3d 98, 142 Haw. 46 (haw 2018).

Opinion

RECKTENWALD, C.J., NAKAYAMA, McKENNA, POLLACK, AND WILSON, JJ.

OPINION OF THE COURT BY McKENNA, J.

I. Introduction

The issue at the core of this appeal is whether courts must advise defendants that restitution is a possible consequence of conviction before accepting a guilty or no contest plea. Petitioner Kristopher Kealoha ("Kealoha") appeals the Circuit Court of the First Circuit's ("circuit court") Judgments of Conviction and Sentence in three criminal cases. 1 In a Hawai'i Rules of Penal Procedure ("HRPP") Rule 11 plea agreement with the State of Hawai'i ("State") to which the circuit court agreed to be bound, Kealoha agreed to plead guilty in all three cases, provided that he would be sentenced to serve concurrent terms of imprisonment, the longest of which would be five years.

On appeal, Kealoha asserts the circuit court violated that agreement by also sentencing him to pay restitution. He argues he should be resentenced in conformity with his plea agreement, without being required to pay restitution. He alternatively argues he should be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea. The Intermediate Court of Appeals ("ICA") disagreed and affirmed the circuit court in its Summary Disposition Order, State v. Kealoha , Nos. CAAP-14-0001195, CAAP-14-0001196, CAAP-14-0001197, 139 Hawai'i 471 , 2017 WL 1535170 , at *2 (App. Apr. 28, 2017) ( SDO ).

On certiorari, Kealoha asserts that the ICA erred in affirming the convictions and not granting him the relief he requested. His appellate counsel also requests that we review the ICA's July 17, 2017 Order Approving in Part and Denying in Part Defendant-Appellant's Request for Attorney's Fees and Costs ("ICA's July 17, 2017 order") to the extent it reduced his request for attorney's fees.

For the reasons stated below, we hold that because restitution is part of the "maximum penalty provided by law" and is a direct consequence of conviction, defendants must be appropriately advised and questioned in open court regarding their understanding of this possibility before a court can accept their pleas. In so holding, we overrule in part the ICA's opinion in State v. Tuialii , 121 Hawai'i 135 , 214 P.3d 1125 (App. 2009), cert. denied , 2010 WL 60962 . Although the circuit court did not conduct a proper colloquy in Kealoha's case, because Kealoha never filed an appropriate motion in the circuit court, we affirm his convictions without prejudice to him filing a HRPP Rule 40 petition in the circuit court. We also partially grant appellate counsel's request for an increased award of attorney's fees for his work before the ICA.

*103 II. Background

A. Circuit Court Proceedings

From 2012 to 2013, Kealoha was charged with a number of offenses in three separate criminal cases. On February 10, 2012, in Cr. No. 12-1-224, Kealoha was charged with one count of Assault in the Second Degree, in violation of HRS § 707-711 (1)(a) and/or § 707-711(1)(b) and/or § 707-711(1)(d). 2 On March 12, 2012, in Cr. No. 12-1-387, Kealoha was charged with one count of each of the following: Unauthorized Control of a Propelled Vehicle in violation of HRS § 708-836, Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree in violation of HRS § 712-1246, Promoting a Detrimental Drug in the Third Degree in violation of HRS § 712-1249, Resisting Arrest in violation of HRS § 710-1026(1)(a), Driving Without a License in violation of HRS § 286-102, Accidents Involving Bodily Injury in violation of HRS § 291C-12.6, and Resisting an Order to Stop a Motor Vehicle in violation of HRS § 710-1027. 3 On June 7, 2013, in Cr. No. 13-1-813, Kealoha was charged with one count of Assault in the Third Degree, in violation of HRS § 707-712(1)(a). 4

1. Change of plea hearing

On May 28, 2014, Kealoha pled guilty to all counts in all three cases. At the change of plea hearing, Kealoha indicated that he would prefer to go to trial if the court did not bind itself to his plea agreement with the State:

[THE COURT]: You want to plead guilty in all cases as to all counts?
[THE DEFENDANT]: If there's a deal, Your Honor. If this is a Rule 11, you know what I mean? I don't understand exactly everything. But if-if I'm pleading guilty and it's a Rule 11 and everybody going give me one open 5 max, that's it, for everything, then, yeah. Sure, I like take that deal. But, if it's not, Your Honor, I going go trial .

The circuit court then confirmed the existence and terms of the plea agreement with Kealoha's counsel and the State:

THE COURT: What is the plea agreement?
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Everything concurrent.
THE COURT: And he gets the open term and everything concurrent ?
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Yeah.
THE COURT: I will bind myself to this agreement .
THE DEFENDANT: The open term of 5 years max, that's it, for everything?
THE COURT: And I'm going to make it altogether concurrent.
THE DEFENDANT: Right.
....
THE DEFENDANT: Judge-Your Honor, again, I know you the top guy on this, but is the prosecutor, everybody on the same page, you know what I mean?

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Bluebook (online)
414 P.3d 98, 142 Haw. 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kealoha-haw-2018.