Title: State v. Dennehy

State: hawaii

Issuer: Hawaii Supreme Court

Document:

1#* NOT_FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER ***
No. 26902
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAI'I

 

  

APPEAL FROM THE FIRST CIRCUIT COURT
(CR. NO. 04=1-1807)

SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER

(By: Moon, C.J, Levinson, Nakayama, Acoba, and Duffy, JJ.)

STATE OF HAWAI'T, Plaintif£-Appellee, 2
vs. Sr 3 2
JASON DENNEHY, Defendant-Appellant. gee SE
3S c

s

8

Defendant-Appellant, Jason Dennehy ("Jason"), appeals
from the first circuit court's! Septenber 24, 2004 judgment
convicting him of the offense of Abuse of Family and Household
Members, in violation of Hawai'i Revised Statutes (“HRS”) § 709-
906,? and sentencing him to one hundred eighty days of

incarceration, two years of probation, and fees totaling $200.00

+ the Honorable Patrick W. Border presided.
in relevant part, a8 follows

 

+ ARS § 709-906 (Supp. 2004) provid

709-906 Abuse of fanily or household mesbere; penalty.
(1) Te shall be unlawful for any person, singly or in concert, to
physically abuse # family or household nenber or to refuse
Compliance with the lawful order of @ police officer under
Subsection (4). The police, in investigating any complaint of
abvse of family or household member, upon request, may transport
the sbused person to a hospital or safe shelter.

For the purposes of this section, “fanily or household
menber" means spouses of reciprocal beneficiaries, former spouses
Of reciprocal beneficiaries, persons who have a child in common,
parents, children, persons relsted by consanguinity, and persons
Jeintly residing or formerly residing in the sane duelling unit.

 

 
   

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAII REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER *
for abusing? his wife, Shannon Elaine Dennehy ("Shannon"). On
appeal, Jason presents the following points of error: (1) there
is insufficient evidence to support his conviction of the offense
of Abuse of Family and Household Members; (2) the circuit court
erred by sentencing him without the benefit of a presentence
investigation and report; and (3) the circuit court erred by
precluding him from using a firearm in his military training,
including target practice.

Upon carefully reviewing the record and the briefs
submitted by the parties and having given due consideration to

a

 

the arguments advanced and the issues raised, we hold tha

the record contains sufficient evidencet to support Jason's

2 “(as ordinarily used(,] abused means to maltreat and connotes
such treatment as Will injure, hurt or damage a person.” Seate ¥, Nomira, 79
Hawai'i (13,416, 903 P.2a 718, 721 (app. 1995) (citations omitted) (sone
Brackets added and sone in original)

 

 

 

+ wren reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence, this court hi
previously set forth the following standazd of review!

We have long held that evidence adduced in the trial court
must be considered in the strongest light for the prosecution when
the appellate court passes on the Legal sufficiency of such
evidence to support ® convsetion; the same standard applies
ether the case was before a Judge or a Jury.” The test on appeal,
is not whether guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt, but
whether there vas substantial evidence to support. the conclusion
Of the trier of fact. "substantial evidence” as to every material
Glenent of the offense charged 1s credible evidence which is of
sufficiency quality and probative velue to enable s person of
Feasonable caution to support # conclusion.

State v, Vilielme, 105 Hawai'i 197, 202-03, 95 P.3d 952, 957-58 (2004) (block
Guote formatting renoved) (internal citations omitted) (some internal
Quotation marks omitted) (Brackets omitted)

2

   

 

 

 
 

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAII REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER,
conviction; (2) the circuit court did not abuse its discretion
by refusing to consider a presentence investigation and report

prior to sentencing Jason;* and (3) Jason failed to preserve an

 

5 Viewed in the Light most favorable to the pri the
evidence adduced st trial demonstrates that! (1) Shannon and Jason got into
fan argonent during the early morning hours of July 5, 2004; (2) Jason got
Gpset when Shannon told him, "i'm really tired, Let's just go to bed. It's
Feally late, and let's just go to sleep()"; and (3) Jason punched Shannon in
the Back of the head, pushed her down the stairs, and choked her and held her
own untél Jason's friend, William Milligan, intervenes,

  

 

 

* of particular relevance is HRS § 706-601 (1993 6 Supp. 2004),
waich provides as follows:

8706-601 pre-sentence diagnosis and report. (1) Except as
provided in subsections (3) and (4), the court shall order «pre:
Eentence correct ional diagnosis of the defendant and accord due
Consideration to a written report of the diagnosis before imposing
Sentence where:

a)” The defendant has been convicted of a felony; or

{b) The defendant {a less than twenty-two years of age and

has been convicted of 2 crime

(2) The court gay order a pre-sentence diagnosis in any
other case.

(3), wich the consent of the court, the requirement of «
pre-sentence diagnosis may be waived by agreonent of both the
Sefendant and the prosecuting attorney.

(i) The court on its om motion may waive a pre:
correctional diagnosis where:

(ah A’ptlor pre“seatence diagnosis, was, conpleted within

Ont year preceding the senvencing in the instant case?
(o) The Sefentant ie Being sentenced for murder or
Attempted aurder in any degrees oF

(c) The sentence was agreed to by the parties and approved
by the court under rule 11 of the Hawai! rules of
penal procedure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Emphasis added.) Insofar as the present matter does not involve 2 felony
conviction of 8 defendant who is less than twenty-two years of age, the plain
Tenguage of HRS § 706-601 (2) places it within the circuit court's discretion
ko order  presentence investigation and report.

‘Although Jason asserts that a presentence investigation and report
would have afforded the court some information regarding vston’s "law-abiaing
past, hie character and attitude, . . . need, availability and viability of
Progtenning, counseling ond the hardship to (he) and his family with respect
ko the effects on his allitary cereer and incepacitation while imprisoned(,]"
the record ingéeates that the court was already aware that (1) Jasea hed no
prior criminal history, (2) Jason was in the military, and (3) Jason was
harried with at least one child, the court made clear that whatever
Saditionel information s presentence investigation and report would have
Uncovered would not have Outweighed or mitigated the punishment it felt was
pecessary light of the seriousness of the offense = J.e., the fact that’

 

 

 

 

3
(OT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAII REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER ¢**

 

adequate record on appeal and thereby waived’ his argument that
the circuit court erred by precluding the use of weapons in his

military training based upon 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9).* Therefore,

Shannon's 1ife was placed in great peril. Accordingly, Jason has failed to
Genonstrate that the circuit court sbused its discretion by refusing te
consider a presentence investigation and report.

7 aasonts point of error is problematic insofar as he relies on the
circuit court's minutes to establish that the circuit court's November 5, 2004
“Order Pertaining to Bail” was founded upon 18 U-5.C. § 822 (9) (9)- According
ro Havai't Rules ef Appellate Procedure Rule 10(a) (2005), the record on
appeal consists of the followin:

 

 

 

(2) the original papers fled in the court or agency
appealed from:

(2) ‘eeitten jury instructions given, or requested and
Fefused or modified over objection

(3) Genibste admitted into evidence or refused:

(G) the transcripts prepared for the record cn appeals

(5) inva criminal case where the sentence is being
appealed, a sealed copy of the pres
Snvestigation report; ang

(6) the indexes prepared by the clerk of the court
appealed fron:

   

 

 

Circuit court minutes are not considered @ part of the record on appeal, and
they may not be cited.” See Doe v. Grosvenor Center Assocs., 104 Hawai'i 500,
505 n.3, 92 F.3d 1010, 1015 n.3 (App. 2006) (noting “that documents, such as
clerk minstes and letters to snd from the court, that are in, attsched to, oF
apprehended to the lower court record but which have not been *filed” in the
IGner court record as evidenced by the court clerk's file stamp, ave not part
of the record on appeal ()") (citing Hebb v. Harvey, 103 Hawai 63, 66, 79
F.3d 681, 684 (App. 2003)). ‘Hence, Jason has failed to crystallize nis
argument’ by preserving an adequate record on appeal. absent the clerk
Binutes, the record nerely indicates that the circuit court changed its mind
and precluded Jason from possessing or controlling dangerous weapons,
Effectively preventing him from participation in military eraining drills
“nich regelre the use of such wespons. Jason offers no argunents cutside the
Scope of 18 U.5.C. § 922(9)(3) as to why such s bail condition is improper.
Accordingly, the point of ezror is not properly presented and may be deemed
waives.

 

 

 

   

 

 

+ 28 u.s.c. § $22(g)(9) states as follows:

(g) Tt shall be unlawful for any person...

(9) who has been convicted in any court of @

miscencancr crime of conestic wiolence, to ship oF

Eransport in interstate or foreign commerce, oF
jess in or affecting commerce, any firesrm or

4

  
 

‘+* NOT _FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER *
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the judgment from which the
appeal is taken is affirmed.

DATED:

 

Honolulu, Hawai'i, April 18, 2007.

on the briefs:

Stuart N. Fujioka of
Nishioka & Fujioka
for defendant appellant

Jason Dennehy 7

sonja f. eculien,
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, iste CONC rre~

for plaintiff-appellee

Stave of Hawal's OD

ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition
Which has been shipped of transported in interstate or
foreign