State v. Sorino

118 P.3d 645, 108 Haw. 162, 2005 Haw. LEXIS 428
Hawaii Supreme Court·Decided August 17, 2005·No. 26009·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by

LEVINSON, J.

On July 28, 2005, the defendant-appellant-petitioner Gerven Sorino filed an application for a writ of certiorari, requesting that this court review the Intermediate Court of Appeal’s (ICA’s) published opinion [hereinafter, “the ICA’s opinion”] filed on June 29, 2005, affirming the July 2, 2003 order of the circuit court of the first circuit, the Honorable Sandra A. Simms presiding, denying Sorino’s April 8, 2003 motion (1) to set aside the August 11, 1998 judgment, guilty conviction, and probation sentence, (2) to allow defendant to withdraw his plea of no contest, and (3) to set the case for trial [hereinafter, “motion to set aside”] [collectively hereinafter, “the order denying Sorino’s motion to set aside”]. See State v. Sorino, 108 Hawai'i 115, 117 P.3d 847 (Hawai'i App. 2005). On August 3, 2005, we granted certiorari.

In his application, Sorino contends (1) that “the majority of the [ICA] gravely erred when it affirmed the circuit court’s order denying ... Sorino’s motion to [set aside] where the circuit court failed to comply with [Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) ] § 802E-2 [ (1993) 1 ] so that withdrawal of ... Sorino’s plea was mandatory pursuant to HRS *163 § 802E-3 [ (1993) ]”; 2 and (2) that “the majority opinion of the [ICA] is obviously inconsistent with this court’s decision in State v. Nguyen [,] ” 81 Hawai'i 279, 916 P.2d 689 (1996).

As discussed infra in section III, we granted certiorari because the ICA’s opinion suffers from a “grave error[] of law” and is “inconsistent” both with Nguyen and its own reasoning. We therefore hold, consonant with our reasoning in Nguyen, that Sorino is entitled to the protections of HRS §§ 802E-2 and 802E-3, as well as Hawai'i Rules of Penal Procedure (HRPP) Rule 11(c)(5) (1998). 3 Accordingly, we (1) reverse the ICA’s opinion, (2) vacate the July 2, 2003 circuit court order denying Sorino’s April 8, 2003 motion to set aside, and, (3) pursuant to HRS §§ 802E-2 and 802E-3, remand this matter with instructions to the circuit court (a) to vacate the judgment, (b) to permit Sorino to withdraw his no contest plea and enter a plea of not guilty, and (c) to conduct further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

I. BACKGROUND

The following facts, adduced before the circuit court and recited by the ICA in its lead opinion, are undisputed in Sorino’s application:

On April 13, 1998, Sorino pled no contest to Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree in violation of HRS § 707-716(1)(d) (1993).[ 4 ] The circuit court sentenced Sor-ino to five years of probation, and Judgment was entered on August 11, 1998. On July 9, 2002, the circuit court revoked Sori-no’s probation, sentenced him to five years of imprisonment, and filed its Order of Resentencing/Revocation of Probation.
On April 8, 2003, Sorino filed the Motion to Withdraw Plea, asking the circuit court to allow him to withdraw his no contest plea and to set his case for trial “on the grounds: 1) that the Court did not advise Defendant of his immigration status prior to accepting Defendant’s plea of no contest and 2) manifest injustice.” Sorino argued that the circuit court had failed to advise him pursuant to HRS § 802E-2, [see supra note 1,] and, therefore, pursuant to HRS § 802E-3, [see supra note 2,] the circuit court was mandated to vacate the Judgment, permit him to withdraw his plea of no contest and enter a plea of not guilty, *164 and set the case for trial. Attached to the motion was the April 13, 1998 transcript of proceedings at which Sorino had entered his no contest plea and a copy of a “Notice to Appear In removal proceedings under section 240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act” (Notice) from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) (served on Sorino on September 19, 2002). The Notice stated that Sorino was deportable because he was not a citizen or national of the United States and because he had been convicted of Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree (committed against a person with whom he shared a child in common) on August 11, 1998 in the circuit court. The Notice further stated that Sorino was subject to removal from the United States pursuant to § 237(a)(2)(E)(i) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, as amended, because Sorino was an alien who, after entry, had been convicted of “a crime of domestic violence, a crime of stalking, or a crime of child abuse, child neglect, or child abandonment.”
On May 28, 2003, the State filed a memorandum opposing the Motion to Withdraw Plea, arguing that Sorino did “not hold an absolute right to withdraw his plea” and there had been no showing of “manifest injustice” entitling Sorino to withdraw his plea. The State argued that the record showed Sorino had been advised by the circuit court and fully understood the immigration consequences of his plea.
On June 2, 2003, the circuit court held a hearing on the Motion to Withdraw Plea. The circuit court issued its July 2, 2003 order denying the Motion to Withdraw Plea based on the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. On March 20, 1998, Defendant’s counsel requested a misdemeanor charge for his client because of “immigration consequences.”

2. On April 3, 1998, the Court, by way of a[p]re-trial Conference, advised Defendant’s counsel to contact the Immigration and Naturalization Service regarding immigration consequences for his client.

3. On April 13, 1998, Defendant was warned on the record that his plea could have a bearing on his relationship with the Immigration and Naturalization Service; and based upon a colloquy with the court, Defendant was sufficiently advised and fully understood the potential immigration consequences of his plea.

4. On April 13, 1998, Defendant signed a Change of Plea form which warned him that if he was not a citizen of the United States, a conviction might have the consequence of deportation.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1. The Court is not required to resort to a ritualistic litany when advising a Defendant of the consequences of his plea. State v. Cornelia, 68 Haw. 644, 727 P.2d 1125 (1986).

2.

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State v. Sorino, 118 P.3d 645, 108 Haw. 162, 2005 Haw. LEXIS 428 (haw 2005).

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