State v. Choy Foo

OPINION OF THE COURT BY

NAKAMURA, C.J.

The question presented in this appeal is whether a delay caused by the referral of Defendant-Appellee Quincy L.F. Choy Foo III (Choy Foo) to the Public Defender’s Office, to enable him to seek a court-appointed lawyer, constituted an excludable delay for speedy trial purposes under Hawai'i Rules of Penal Procedure (HRPP) Rule 48 (2000). At Choy Foo’s initial arraignment, for which he appeared without counsel, the court referred Choy Foo to the Public Defender’s Office and set a new hearing in twenty-one days for Choy Foo to demand or waive his right to a…