Opinion ID: 1112237
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 19

Heading: rereading requested testimony.

Text: Estrada complains that Judge Mossman should have read defense expert Dr. Halford's testimony as well as Officer Taguma's testimony on Officer Taguma's behavior after receiving the first notice about discharge from Queen's Hospital. State answers that Dr. Halford's testimony covered the period of about one month prior to discharge so was not essential compared with Officer Taguma's account. The jury requested Dr. Halford's & Keith Taguma's testimony regarding Taguma's condition (tubes and IV's in body, eating solids, etc.)... . Record Volume III at 492. After initially rejecting the request by ordering the jurors to rely upon your collective memories to recall the applicable testimony[,] id., Judge Mossman read back only Officer Taguma's testimony. See Transcript, February 5, 1986 at 7-8. No reason was given for ignoring Dr. Halford's testimony which indicated Officer Taguma was violent, verbally abusive, and had preexisting mental problems. The jury is the sole judge of witness credibility and the weight of the evidence. State v. Kim, 64 Haw. 598, 645 P.2d 1330 (1982). Consequently, Judge Mossman should not have arbitrarily denied the jury request for Dr. Halford's testimony. Officer Taguma's and Dr. Halford's testimony disputed why the former was angry. Dr. Halford's account supported the defense theory that Officer Taguma was predisposed to aggressiveness and had a bad temper. Dr. Halford's testimony was thus crucial, and the jury should have had his testimony to determine the truth of Estrada's self-defense assertion. [11] We cannot condone such piecemeal presentation of the evidence. See Pokini, 55 Haw. at 655, 526 P.2d at 105. Judge Mossman also may have influenced the jurors into believing that Dr. Halford's testimony was not important compared to Officer Taguma's. That is, they could have thought that, since Judge Mossman did not read back Dr. Halford's account although asked, they should concentrate on only Officer Taguma's testimony. And considering the original jury communication, Dr. Halford's testimony was probably not well-remembered, so emphasizing Officer Taguma's testimony could only bolster State's case to Estrada's detriment. Estrada's right to a fair jury trial free from the improper influence of the trial judge was violated. See State v. Alfonso, 65 Haw. 95, 648 P.2d 696 (1982).