State v. Mikasa

134 P.3d 607, 110 Haw. 441
CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 5, 2006
Docket25776
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 134 P.3d 607 (State v. Mikasa) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mikasa, 134 P.3d 607, 110 Haw. 441 (hawapp 2006).

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by

LIM, J.

In this consolidated appeal (Nos. 25776, 25777 and 25778 under 25776), Scott Sunao Mikasa (Defendant or Mikasa) appeals the three March 24, 2003 amended judgments that the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit (circuit court) entered in Cr. No. 02-1-0090(3) (case 090) (No. 25776), Cr. No. 02-1-0498(3) (case 498) (No. 25777), and Cr. No. 03-1-0036(3) (case 036) (No. 25778), respectively. 1

Defendant contends his counsel rendered ineffective assistance in allowing him to plead no contest without adequate time for investigation and discovery. Defendant also argues that the circuit court abused its discretion in relying upon an uncharged conspiracy in fashioning its sentence. We disagree on both points, and affirm.

I. Background.

In the words of the presentence investigator, presented here verbatim:

Cr. No. 02-1-0090(3):
[[Image here]]
The police investigation reveals that on February 14, 2002, Search Warrant # 2002-36 was executed at 37 Kono Place, Kahului, a residence being occupied by Scott Mikasa, Peter Kamalii, Jonathan Buesa, Jason Bio and Patrick Racadio. Search Warrant 2002-37 was executed upon Scott Mikasa’s person at the said location.
As a result of Search Warrant # 2002-36, the search of a black bag that was next to Mikasa resulted the recovery of the following:
Item # 1: Twenty (20) ziplock packets possessing crystal methamphetamine with the combined net weight of 2.20 ounces.
Item # 2: .29 grams of Marijuana
Item # 3: Numerous clear plastic packets Identification of Mikasa and Kamalii were recovered from the black bag.
A search within a black bag that was next to Buesa resulted the recovery of the following:
*443 Item # 1: Two (2) ziplock packets possessing suspected crystal methamphetamine with the combined net weight of 4.88 grams.
Item # 2: .04 net grams of marijuana
Item # 3: Numerous clear plastic packets
Item # 4: Digital scales
Item # 5: $1,280 in U.S. Currency Identification of Buesa were recovered from within said bag.
Upon informing Bio of his Constitutional Rights, Bio claimed ownership of a blue fanny-pack that was in the middle of the livingroom floor. As a result of searching the fanny pack, a glass pipe (scraped out .16 grams of Crystal Methamphetamine), .57 grams of Marijuana vegetation, plastic packets, scrapper and other drug related paraphernalia.
Also recovered were several glass dishes/containers possessing methamphetamine residue, a clear ziplock bag possessing marijuana vegetation with a net weight of .16 grams.
As a result of Search Warrant # 2002-37, Mikasa’s person was search. Found was $1,872.00 in cash, identification of Mikasa, and a packet possessing .54 grams was recovered from his shorts pocket.
[[Image here]]
Scott Mikasa, Peter Kamalii, Jonathan Buesa, Jason Bio and Patrick Racadio were placed under arrest. Mikasa, Buesa, Kamalii and Racadio did not want to provide a statement.
Statement of Jason Bio:
After advising his constitutional rights, Bio offered the following statement:
Bio stated that he was born on Maui and graduated high school from Baldwin High in 1993. He work at Maui Paper and Chemical and he has known Scott Mikasa and Peter Kamalii for about five (5) to six (6) months.
He said that he smokes Crystal Methamphetamine at about .5 grams over a three (3) to four (4) day period. He reported that Scott Mikasa and Kamalii often travel between Honolulu and Maui. He does not know if Mikasa and Kamalii sell Crystal Methamphetamine.
Cr. No. 02-1-0498(3):
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The police investigation reveals that on May 31, 2002, while the police were searching the residence located at 503 Kamehameha Avenue pursuant to a search warrant being known to be involved with the distribution of illegal narcotics, Scott Mikasa knocked at the door of the said residence. Officer Esperanza opened the door and recognized Mikasa from past history of drug cases. Mikasa asked if “Walter” was home. When the officer asked what he wanted for Walter, he said that he wanted to know if “Walter” wanted to go fishing. Mikasa appeared to be nervous as if he had recognized that he was talking to a police officer, he immediately turned around and walked down the stairwell down to an awaiting vehicle MDC-888.
Seated in the driver side of the vehicle was a male later identified as Joel Chang. At this time the officer asked Chang for his consent to search Vehicle MDC-888.
While searching the vehicle a backpack was observed on the front seat. Chang stated that the backpack belonged to Mi-kasa.
The officer asked Mikasa if he would be willing to have the backpack be search which Mikasa said “no.” A canine screening was then conducted. The canine had alerted to the backpack.
On May 31, 2002, Scott Mikasa was placed under arrest after Officer Greg Alejo’s canine “Wielco” alerted to the backpack that belonged to Mikasa.

Mikasa did not want to provide a statement.

On May 31, 2002, Search Warrant # 2002-112 was executed on the defendant’s backpack. As a result of the search, a crystal like substance suspected to be Crystal Methamphetamine, green vegetation purported to be Marijuana was recovered along with other items associated with drug paraphernalia.
The weight of the Crystal Methamphetamine was 0.03 grams and was tested positive NIK Kit “U”.
Cr. No. 03-1-0036(3):
*444 [[Image here]]
The police investigation reveals that on January 6, 2003, Officer Randy Esperanza of the Vice Division obtained search warrants 2003-1 and 2003-1 from Judge Rhonda Loo for Scott Mikasa and at the residence located at 705 Komo Place, Kahului. At about 1:05 p.m., the officers arrived at the residence located at 705 Komo Place. Scott Mikasa was observed standing in the garage and when he noticed the officers he began to walk in a haste toward the house fumbling with a small black back pack in his hand.
When the police announced their presence, Mikasa continued to walk into the residence. He threw the small black back pack onto the living room floor near the feet of a male sitting at a computer.

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Related

Afele v. State
Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2026
State v. Mikasa
135 P.3d 1044 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
134 P.3d 607, 110 Haw. 441, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mikasa-hawapp-2006.