State v. Naititi

Opinion of the Court by

LEVINSON, J.

The plaintiff-appellant State of Hawai'i [hereinafter, “the prosecution”] appeals from the findings of fact (FOFs), conclusions of law (COLs), and order of the first circuit court, the Honorable Sandra A. Simms presiding, ruling that certain statements that the defendant-appellee Samuel Naititi made to Honolulu Police Department (HPD) Detective Phillip Lavarías were involuntary, within the meaning of Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) § 621-26 (1993),1 and therefore inadmissible at trial. As a threshold matter, the prosecution asserts that it is entitled to…