Case Title: State v. Gututala

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: hawaii

Court: Hawaii Supreme Court

Date: 2008-04-11T00:00:00Z

Document:
LAW LIBRARY

 

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAT REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER *

 

wo. 27749

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAT'T

STATE OF HAWAT'T, Respondent/Plaintiff-Appellee

ARTHUR SAMOA GUTUTALA, Petitioner/Defendant-Appellant

CERTIORARI TO THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS
(CR. NOS. 05-1-1378 and 5-1-1921)”

41 May aoa

iy
G24

 

(By: Moon, C.d., Levinson, Nakayama, and Duffy JJ;
‘and’ Acoba, J., Dissenting)

 

Petitioner Arthur Samoa Gututala seeks review of the
Intermediate Court of Appeals’ (ICR) August 3, 2007 judgment,
which affirmed the circuit court of the first circuit's
Decenber 14, 2005 Judgments of Conviction and Sentence in Cr.

No. 05-1-1378 and in Cr. No. 05-1-1921.? We accepted Gututala’s
application for a writ of certiorari and now vacate the judgment

of the ICA and remand to the circuit court for resentencing.
on July 6, 2005, Gututala was charged with Promoting a
Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree (PDD), in violation of HRS

§ 712-1243, and Unlawful Use of Drug Paraphernalia (UP), in
violation of BRS § 329-43.5(a). Gututala pled no contest to both

 

 

‘The Honorable Oexter Del Rosario preside:
 

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAN'

 

REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

counts. Subsequently, on September 15, 2005, Gututala was
charged with Unauthorized Control of a Propelled Vehicle (UCPV),
in violation of HRS § 708-836, and Driving Without License (DHL)
in violation of HRS § 708-836. He pled guilty to both counts.?
The prosecution moved to sentence Gututala to extended
terms of imprisonment as 2 “persistent offender,” under HRS
§5 706-661 & 706-662(1) (Supp. 2004). The circuit court granted
the motion based on its finding that such terms were necessary
for the protection of the public, and sentenced Gututala to

extended-tern sentences of ten years for each felony conviction:

 

ten-years imprisonment for PDD, ten-years imprisonment for UP,
and ten-years imprisonment for UCPV. In addition to the
extended-term sentences for the three felony convictions,
Gututala was sentenced to thirty-days imprisonment for DNL. ‘The
sentences were to run concurrently.

‘The ICA affirmed Gututala’s conviction and sentence.
Gututala maintains, inter alia,’ that the ICA gravely erred in

concluding that the imposition of an extended term of

 

P00, UUF, and UCPV are each class C felonies carrying @ ma
of imprisonment of five years. HRS § 706-660 (1903). For’ tmL,,Gatutele faced
f maximn sentence of thirty-days imprisonment. HRS § 706-663" (1993).

 

> Gututela raised two other claims in his Application for Writ of
certiorari: (i) that the circuit court relied on inadequate evidence (a
presentence report) to prove that he was a “persistent offender,” and (2) that
the cireult court wrongly refused to entertain Ms motion to reconsider his
sentence. Secause we vacate the Ica’s judgment upholding Gututala’s sentence,
and remand for resentencing, we need not address these arguments.

 

 

2
 

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI'I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER,

imprisonment based on non-jury findings of fact did not violate
his rights under the fifth, sixth, and fourteenth amendments to
the United States Constitution, as explicated in Apprendi v. New

Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000), and its progeny. As this court made

 

clear in State v. Maugacteaa, 115 Hawai'i 432, 168 P.3d S62
(2007), Gututala’s extended-term sentences were indeed
inconsistent with his right to a jury trial under the sixth
amendment to the United States Constitution.

Therefore,

The ICA's August 3, 2007 judgment is vacated, and the
case is remanded to the circuit court (1) to vacate Gututala’s
‘extended term sentences and (2) for resentencing in accordance
with this order and applicable law. See Act 1 (Oct. 31, 2007)
(to be codified at HRS $$ 706-661 to ~664);‘ State v. Jess,

No. 26483, Slip Op. (Haw. March 31, 2008) (determining that
resentencing under Act 1 is not unconstitutional and also

permitting a circuit court to resentence 4 criminal defendant

 

 

+ act 1 was passed in a special
Maussctegs. See HB. 2, 24th Leg. Second Spec. Sess. (2007), guailable at
http: //eapitol -nawaii.gov/splsession200%b/bills/#B2_.htm (enact

Gstooer 21, 20071, Section 5 ef the Act provides that "[a) defendant whos
Ghtended tern of imprisonment Ss set aside or invalidated shall be resentenced
pursuant to this Act upon request of the prosecutor.” See id,

3

 

 

 
 

{#** NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWATT REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER *

under a judicially reformed version of the prior statute
governing extended term sentencing) .*

DATE!

 

Honolulu, Hawai'i, April 11, 2008.

Phyllis J. Hironaka, .
Deputy Public Defender, G
for petitioner/defendant~

appellant on the application

Picsete Or cases UP
Bena. Baty ore

* Although Gututala, at this juncture, has not alleged any defect in
his indictment, we note that the new rule announced in aga, requiring the

allegation of aggravating extrinsic facts n'a charging instrument, does not
apply to Gututala because of its prospective character:

 

  

‘