State v. Krstoth.

Opinion of the Court by

McKENNA, J.

I. Introduction

Takson Krstoth (“Krstoth”) entered a plea of guilty to one count of Murder in the Second Degree, in violation of Hawai'i Revised Statutes (“HRS”) § 707-701.5 (2014). 1 Before sentencing, Krstoth requested that the court allow him to withdraw his plea and go to trial, then filed a motion requesting the same, asserting that his plea was not entered knowingly, intelligently, or voluntarily, and that he felt pressured by his public defender and interpreter to plead guilty. The circuit court denied the motion and sentenced him to life imprisonment…