State v. Oyama

Defendant-appellant Donald Tetsuo Oyama (hereinafter “appellant”) seeks a reversal of his conviction by the first circuit court in a bench trial for manslaughter under HRS § 707-702 (1976). During the course of the trial, appellant’s counsel stipulated into evidence the testimonies of ten State witnesses, all of whom were not present during the trial. Appellant is now contending that the trial court erred in admitting the stipulations without first examining appellant to determine whether appellant knowingly and intelligently waived his constitutional right of confrontation.1

For the reasons…