Opinion ID: 4535365
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Uchima’s Application for Writ of Certiorari

Text: The ICA judgment on appeal was filed on March 19, 2018. On March 27, 2018, Uchima’s motion for an extension of time to file an application for a writ of certiorari (Application) was granted, and the deadline was extended to May 18, 2018. Six days after the extended due date, Uchima filed his Application along with his counsel’s motion to accept the untimely Application. In the motion to accept, Uchima argues that this court should consider his Application on the merits despite its ostensible untimeliness because the failure to file within the deadline resulted entirely from either computer system error or his counsel’s mistake. In a declaration attached to the motion, counsel for Uchima avers that he “finished drafting the 9 FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAII REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER Application and believed that he properly efiled it” on May 18, 2018. Counsel states that he would not have sought an extension of time to file the Application if he had not intended to file it. Counsel adds that he “had no reason to suspect that there was any issue in creating Uchima’s case.” Upon receiving notice on May 24, 2018, that the State had filed a motion to execute Uchima’s sentence in district court, counsel states that he checked the Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System and was unable to locate a case for Uchima’s Application.8 Counsel explains that he also “checked his emails” and discovered that he had never received an email confirming that a case for Uchima’s Application had been created on May 18, 2018. Counsel indicates that after seeking advice, he filed the motion to accept along with the Application. Counsel declares that he is unsure as to why the Application was not filed, surmising that it was due to user or computer system error on that particular occasion and that he has filed numerous certiorari applications in the past using the same procedure without any issues. The State did not file an opposition to the motion to accept or a response to Uchima’s Application. 8 The Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System allows for the electronic filing of court documents. 10 FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAII REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER