State v. Souza.

In State v. Murray , 116 Hawai'i 3 , 169 P.3d 955 (2007), this court held that if a defendant offers to stipulate to the prior conviction element of a charged offense, the trial court must accept the stipulation. This appeal arises from a challenge by Tracy Souza asserting that the circuit court refused to accept his offer to stipulate to his prior felony conviction, which constituted an element of an offense with which he was charged. We hold that the manner in which the circuit court addressed Souza's offer to stipulate to the prior conviction element was inconsistent with our decision in…