State v. Schnabel.

Opinion of the Court by

ACOBA, J.

We hold first, that, Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) § 571-84(h) clearly and unambiguously prohibits the use of evidence from juvenile proceedings in any adult criminal case for any purpose whatsoever. Accordingly, the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA) gravely erred in affirming the ruling of the circuit court of the first circuit (the court), that Respondent/Plaintiff-Appellee State of Hawai'i (Respondent) would be allowed to introduce evidence from the prior juvenile proceedings of Petitioner/Defen-danF-Appellant Less Allen Schnabel, Jr. (Petitioner), if…