Opinion ID: 2615592
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: White's Motion to Compel Discovery

Text: On September 23, 1997, White filed a motion to compel discovery of, among other things, all police reports regarding Cabrera's past criminal activity and all reports concerning any pending investigations in which Cabrera was a suspect or witness. At the October 10, 1997 hearing on the motion, the prosecution represented that it did not possess the requested documents. Accordingly, the motions court denied White's request, reasoning that: (1) the requested material was not discoverable under HRPP Rule 16 (1997); (2) even if the prosecution possessed reports pertaining to other investigations or charges involving Cabrera subsequent to the charges brought in this case, those subsequent charges were irrelevant to this case; and (3) White failed to file subpoenas duces tecum with the appropriate state agencies. On October 16, 1997, White filed a subpoena duces tecum directing the custodian of records at the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) to provide nine specific police reports involving Cabrera and any other documents dating back to March 1995 wherein Cabrera was a suspect or a witness. At the hearing on that subpoena, an HPD representative brought eleven police reports totaling about 400 pages and a printout of pending charges against Cabrera. When questioned by the motions court about the relevance of the material, White's counsel replied: [O]ther investigations or charges regarding [Cabrera] are necessary to show motive, intent, and abilityreasons why he would be cooperating with the prosecution in this case, uh, for any other future deals down the road. That's what we're looking at.... The motions court denied White's request for documents, declaring, I don't find relevance in what you have said. Neither do I find too much that you might get in through the trial judge. The motions court, however, retained the documents and invited White to file a motion for reconsideration explaining the relevance of such material with more particularity before the week of November 24, 1997, the week in which trial was scheduled to commence. White failed to do so.