Opinion ID: 1124343
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Exclusion of Defendant's Use of Goro Fujita's Credit Card

Text: On December 16, 1994, Defendant filed his motion in limine number 20, seeking to exclude evidence of Defendant's alleged use of Goro Fujita's credit card. At a hearing, the Prosecution alleged that Goro's credit card had been used by Defendant to rent a couple of automobiles in November and December 1993, and that a dispute later developed over repayment of the debt. The Prosecution argued that this evidence established a motive, namely, that Defendant was having financial difficulty at the time. Defense counsel argued that the debt was remote in time and unrelated to the present case. The trial court granted the motion and excluded the evidence. The trial court found that the issue raised is not so much centered around the Defendant's liability and obligation and/or financial situation, but more as a dispute between himself and Mr. Fujita over the payment of the credit card charge. And also it is not within the time period of this offense as well. Thus, the trial court apparently concluded that the evidence was not relevant under HRE Rules 401 and 402. [31] In its cross-appeal, the Prosecution argues that the trial court erred in excluding the evidence because it was relevant. We apply the right/wrong standard of review to relevance determinations under HRE Rules 401 and 402. Kealoha v. County of Hawai`i, 74 Haw. 308, 314-15, 844 P.2d 670, 674, reconsideration denied, 74 Haw. 650, 847 P.2d 263 (1993). We believe that the trial court did not err in excluding the evidence. The fact that Defendant used Goro's credit card to rent a car does not mean that he was in financial difficulty. It may simply have been more convenient to use Goro's credit card, Defendant may not have had any credit cards, or the rental car agency may have required a credit card. Furthermore, a dispute over repayment of the debt does not mean that Defendant was financially unable to pay it. The dispute could have involved confusion over the amount due or the time within which it was to be repaid. The evidence simply indicated that there had been some kind of disagreement involving Goro's credit card and nothing more. Additionally, these events occurred months prior to the deaths of the Fujitas. Thus, the credit card issue was irrelevant, and the trial court properly excluded the evidence under HRE Rules 401 and 402.