Opinion ID: 1112237
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: denial of continuances.

Text: Estrada maintains that the continuances were needed to investigate the veracity of Junette's charges in the Anakalea and Ogawa Reports to determine if Officer Taguma had been physically abusive and had misused his police powers to harass her and Stephen. Estrada asserts that these instances of misconduct are relevant to show Officer Taguma 1) had a propensity for violence and the improper use of police powers; and 2) was the original aggressor. State counters that Judge Mossman's later rulings, that Junette's testimony plus both Reports were not relevant (which are not challenged in Estrada's points of appeal), indicate no error occurred. Judge Mossman had the discretion to deny the continuances, State v. Altergott, 57 Haw. 492, 559 P.2d 728 (1977), and to exclude irrelevant or wasteful, time-consuming testimony. State v. Matias, 57 Haw. 96, 550 P.2d 900 (1976). Even relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. Hawaii Rules of Evidence (hereinafter HRE) Rule 403. Officer Taguma's prior bad acts which indicate a propensity for violence, aggression, or abuse of police powers, however, were highly relevant to Estrada's self-defense claims. Meyer v. City and County of Honolulu, 69 Haw. ___, 731 P.2d 149 (1986) (instances of police officers' wrongdoing are admissible to establish the original aggressor). HRE Rule 404 provides in relevant part (emphasis added): Character evidence not admissible to prove conduct; exceptions; other crimes. (a) Character evidence generally. Evidence of a person's character or a trait of his character is not admissible for the purpose of proving that he acted in conformity therewith on a particular occasion, except: ... . (2) Character of victim. Evidence of a pertinent trait of character of the victim of the crime offered by an accused, or by the prosecution to rebut the same, or evidence of a character trait of peacefulness of the victim offered by the prosecution in a homicide case to rebut evidence that the victim was the first aggressor... . Judge Mossman therefore erred in declaring that Junette's charges in the Reports were not relevant. See State v. Burkhart, 5 Haw. App. 26, 675 P.2d 811 (1984). That error was compounded by State's apparent violation of the HRPP Rule 16(b) mandate to timely furnish complete discovery. See note 2, supra. The Anakalea report was provided just over two weeks before the commencement of trial on January 6, 1986 although prepared in August 1985. The HRPP Rule 16(b) violation with regards to the Ogawa Report is more egregious: had Junette not mentioned the Ogawa Report on January 9, 1986, Bettencourt would never have known of it. State's conduct is inexcusable given that the Ogawa Report was prepared on September 16, 1985, some two months after Bettencourt requested discovery. Prosecutorial suppression of favorable material evidence violates due process, regardless of any good faith or bad faith by State. State v. Marzo, 64 Haw. 395, 641 P.2d 1338 (1982). Here, Bettencourt had little opportunity to investigate the Anakalea and Ogawa Reports to prepare the defense. Judge Mossman, moreover, made no inquiry regarding the reasons for State's failure to comply with HRPP Rule 16(b) or whether any prejudice resulted from State's misconduct. State v. Miller, 67 Haw. 121, 680 P.2d 251 (1984). It is clear that Judge Mossman should have allowed the trial continuances as an appropriate remedy to cure the harm created by State's unexplained delays in providing discovery of essential information. State v. Kaiu, 5 Haw. App. 350, 692 P.2d 1166 (1984).