Title: State v. Sniffen

State: hawaii

Issuer: Hawaii Supreme Court

Document:

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***
No. 25766
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HANAT'Y,

   

 
  
    

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STATE OF HAWAI'I, Plaintiff-Appellant

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DONNA SNIFFEN, Defendant-Appellee

APPEAL FROM THE SECOND CIRCUIT COURT
(cR. NO. 02-1-0315(1))

‘SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER
(By: Moon, C.J., Levinson, Nakayama, Acoba, and Duffy, JJ.)

Plaintiff-appellant the State of Hawai‘ (the State)
appeals from the March 18, 2003 findings of fact, conclusions of
law, and order of the circuit court of the second circuit, the
Honorable Joel E. August presiding, granting defendant-appellee
Donna Sniffen’s (Sniffen) motion to suppress.

‘The circuit court ordered suppression because the
warrant that authorized a search for the evidence seized
erroneously commanded police to search a location different from
that described in the warrant’s recitation of probabl® cause. On
appeal, the State contends that suppression based on this

discrepancy was wrong because: (1) 2 mere typographical error

 

should not invalidate the seizure of evidence sufficiently
described in the warrant; and (2) the seizure was proper because
the police relied in good faith on what appeared to be a valid
warrant.

upon carefully reviewing the record and the briefs

submitted by the parties, and having given due consideration to
 

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***
the arguments advanced and the issues raised, we hold that: (1)
the search warrant violated Hawai'i Rules of Penal Procedure
(HRP?) Rule 41(c) (2002) because it commanded police to search a
location different from that described in the warrant/s
recitation of probable cause; and (2) the violation of HRPP Rule

41(c) required the fruits of the search to be suppressed. See

State v. Endo, 83 Hawai'i 87, 924 P.2d 581 (App. 1996).
Therefore,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the order from which the
appeal is taken is affirmed.

DATED: Honolulu, Hawai'i, June 29, 2005.

on the briefs:
Arleen Y. Watanabe,

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney,

for the plaintisf-appellant Shenae
State of Hawai'i
Joyce K. Matsunori-Hioshijo, Rsceese cornice ures

Deputy Public Defender,
for the defendant-appellee
Donna Sniffen

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