State v. Pai

Electronically Filed Intermediate Court of Appeals CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX 18-JUN-2019 07:59 AM NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI'I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER written judgment or written order. For example, in a premature appeal from an underlying proceeding for a criminal defendant's HRPP Rule 40 petition for post-conviction relief, the Supreme Court of Hawai'i held that, where a party filed his notice of appeal before the trial court's announcement of its final decision, that premature notice of appeal was a legal nullity that had no legal effect with respect to the written appealable final order that the trial court later entered. Grattafiori v. State, 79 Hawai'i 10, 13-14, 897 P.2d 937, 940-41 (1995). In the instant case, Pai filed his October 4, 2018 notice of appeal before the district court orally announced any final decision that could be appealable. Six months later, when the district court entered an appealable final judgment, namely the April 15, 2019 judgment dismissing this case without prejudice, Pai failed to file a notice of appeal from the April 15, 2019 judgment. Therefore, we are without jurisdiction to address the merits of Pai's appeal. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that appellate court case number CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX is dismissed for lack of appellate jurisdiction. DATED: Honolulu, Hawai'i, June 18, 2018. Presiding Judge Associate Judge Associate Judge 4