Title: State v. Gauntt-Bryant

State: hawaii

Issuer: Hawaii Supreme Court

Document:

* * * NOT FOR PUBLICATION * * * The Honorable Ruby Hamili presided over this matter. 1 NO. 24928 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAI#I STATE OF HAWAI#I, Plaintiff-Appellee, vs. MARGARET GAUNTT-BRYANT, Defendant-Appellant. APPEAL FROM THE FAMILY COURT OF THE SECOND CIRCUIT (FC-CR NO. 01-1-0767) SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER (By: Moon, C.J., Levinson, Nakayama, Acoba, and Duffy JJ.) Defendant-appellant Margaret Gauntt-Bryant appeals from the family court of the second circuit’s January 17, 2002 judgment of conviction and sentence. Gauntt-Bryant argues, 1 inter alia, that: (1) the family court erred by failing to inform her of her constitutional right to testify, in violation of Tachibana v. State, 79 Hawai#i 226, 900 P.2d 1293 (1995), and State v. Lewis, 94 Hawai#i 292, 12 P.3d 1233 (2000); and (2) the family court erred in denying her motion for acquittal because plaintiff-appellee State of Hawai#i [hereinafter, “the prosecution”] failed to provide sufficient evidence to convict Gauntt-Bryant. The prosecution confesses error on both these points. Upon carefully reviewing the record and the briefs submitted by the parties, and having given due consideration to * * * NOT FOR PUBLICATION * * * 2 the arguments advocated and the issues raised, we conclude that the prosecution’s confession of error is supported by the record and is well-founded in law. See State v. Wasson, 76 Hawai#i 415, 418, 879 P.2d 520, 523 (1994); see also Lewis, 94 Hawai#i at 297, 12 P.3d at 1238; Tachibana, 79 Hawai#i at 240, 900 P.2d at 1307. Furthermore, the double jeopardy provisions of the United States and Hawai#i Constitutions preclude retrial of this case. State v. Hamala, 73 Haw. 289, 293, 834 P.2d 275, 277 (1992) (“‘[T]he Double Jeopardy Clause precludes a second trial once the reviewing court has found the evidence legally insufficient[.]’” (Quoting Burks v. United States, 437 U.S. 1, 18 (1978).)). Therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the family court’s January 17, 2002 judgment of conviction and sentence is reversed. DATED: Honolulu, Hawai#i, September 29, 2004. On the briefs: Georgia K. McMillen for defendant-appellant Margaret Gauntt-Bryant Richard K. Minatoya, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, for plaintiff-appellee State of Hawai#i