State v. Brooks

Opinion of the Court by

NAKAMURA, C.J.

Defendant-Appellant Curtis Ray Brooks (Brooks) and Sistine Rangamar (Rangamar) were charged with the murder, kidnapping, and robbery of Ted Arifuku (Arifuku). Ran-gamar gave a statement to the police shortly after his arrest. In his statement, Rangamar admitted that he had assaulted, restrained, and robbed Arifuku, but also asserted that his actions had been pursuant to a plan devised by Brooks and implicated Brooks in Arifuku’s murder. Rangamar committed suicide before trial.

Brooks filed a pre-trial motion in limine, seeking authorization to introduce at…