Opinion ID: 1418861
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: appellant kaahanui

Text: Appellant Kaahanui makes four assignments of error. The first is based upon the failure of the court to grant a continuance or, in the alternative, a change of venue due to unfavorable pretrial publicity. Kaahanui's trial commenced on November 12, 1970, two days after the verdict in the Wakinekona trial. It is asserted that the trial judge took insufficient steps to shield the defendant from the prejudicial effect of the publicity attending the robbery and murder at the XYZ Market and the publicity attending the trial of Wakinekona. We find little merit in the contention that the series of newspaper articles running from June 28, 1970 to July 31, 1970 prejudiced Kaahanui's right to a fair trial. We do believe, however, that the series of newspaper articles commencing with the November 6, 1970 account of the selection of the jury in the trial of Wakinekona created an atmosphere endangering defendant Kaahanui's right to a fair trial. But the issue is not whether the newspaper accounts were in and of themselves inflammatory but whether the trial judge took sufficient steps to shield the proceedings from the prejudicial effect of the publicity. We think that he did. Our decision is based upon several factors. First, we do not think that the amount of publicity attending the trial of Wakinekona was sufficiently voluminous to lead the trial judge to reasonably conclude that there was a probability that Kaahanui would not be able to receive a fair trial. Second, the newspaper articles contained generally factual accounts of witness testimony and there was no reporting, as in Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 86 S.Ct. 1507, 16 L.Ed.2d 600 (1966), of matters which could not be admitted in evidence. [3] Third, although the trial judge did not do all possible [4] to negate the effect of the pre-trial publicity on the jurors, we think that the voir dire of prospective jurors was sufficient. [5] We briefly consider appellant Kaahanui's final three points. We do not think that appellant was entitled to object to the granting of co-defendant Kalani's motion for severance. We agree with Judge Learned Hand's statement that No accused person has any recognizable legal interest in being tried with another, accused with him, though he often has an interest in not being so tried... . United States v. Bronson, 145 F.2d 939, 943 (2d Cir.1944). Appellant Kaahanui argues that the trial court's denial of his motion to dismiss the indictment constituted error. Appellant's theory is that since co-defendant Kalani did not decide to cooperate with the prosecution until after indictments were returned, the indictments must have been based upon legally inadmissible evidence. Appellant's theory, however, does not negate the possibility that the state adduced other competent evidence before the grand jury. In the absence of a transcript of the proceedings of the grand jury, to which appellant was entitled, see McMahon v. Office of City and County of Honolulu (Prosecuting Attorney), 51 Haw. 589, 465 P.2d 549 (1970), we decline to consider appellant's assignment of error to the trial court's refusal to dismiss the indictment. We reject appellant Kaahanui's contention that it was error to instruct the jury in accordance with HRS § 748-1(3), the so-called felony-murder rule, which provides: Murder in the first degree is the killing of any human being without authority, justification, or extenuation by law done: ...... (3) In the commission of or attempt to commit ... arson, rape, robbery, burglary, or kidnapping. It is true that a conviction under HRS § 748-1(3) could be based upon the taking of human life by accident or inadvertance, while the remaining subsections of HRS § 748-1 contemplate a conviction based upon the taking of human life by intentional conduct. We do not doubt, however, that the legislature may rationally conclude that one who accidentally takes a human life in the commission of a felony enumerated in HRS § 748-1(3) is as morally culpable as one who takes human life by design. The convictions are affirmed.