State v. Wells

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Electronically Filed
Intermediate Court of Appeals
CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX
10-NOV-2025
07:56 AM
Dkt. 60 SO

NO. CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE STATE OF HAWAI#I

STATE OF HAWAI#I, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
LORRAINE WELLS, Defendant-Appellant

APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT
HONOLULU DIVISION
(CASE NO. 1DCW-XX-XXXXXXX)

SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER
(By: Nakasone, Chief Judge, Hiraoka and Wadsworth, JJ.)

Lorraine Wells appeals from the Notice of Entry of
Judgment and/or Order entered by the District Court of the First
Circuit, Honolulu Division on March 12, 2024.1 We affirm.
Instead of stating points of error as required by
Hawai#i Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 28(b)(4), Wells's
opening brief states that counsel "could not find reversible
error" and "invites the Court to search the entire record for
reversible error." Wells relies on People v. Wende, 600 P.2d
1071, 1075 (Cal. 1979).
Hawai#i has neither adopted nor endorsed the Wende
procedure. Nor does Hawai#i permit Anders briefs, in which
court-appointed criminal defense counsel who believes their
client's appeal is frivolous can move to withdraw "accompanied by

1
The Honorable Kristine Y. Yoo presided.
NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

a brief referring to anything in the record that might arguably
support the appeal. . . . [T]he court — not counsel — then
proceeds, after a full examination of all the proceedings, to
decide whether the case is wholly frivolous." In re Attorney's
Fees of Mohr, 97 Hawai#i 1, 7 & n.4, 32 P.3d 647, 653 & n.4
(2001) (discussing Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 744
(1967)).
We are not obligated to search the record for
unspecified error. Cf. Haw. Ventures, LLC v. Otaka, Inc., 114
Hawai#i 438, 480, 164 P.3d 696, 738 (2007) (stating that "this
court is not obligated to sift through the voluminous record to
verify an appellant's inadequately documented contentions").
Wells has not shown error. The District Court's
March 12, 2024 Notice of Entry of Judgment and/or Order is
affirmed.
DATED: Honolulu, Hawai#i, November 10, 2025.

On the briefs:
/s/ Karen T. Nakasone
Eric Lee Niemeyer, Chief Judge
for Defendant-Appellant.
/s/ Keith K. Hiraoka
Loren J. Thomas, Associate Judge
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney,
City and County of Honolulu, /s/ Clyde J. Wadsworth
for Plaintiff-Appellee. Associate Judge

2

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Electronically Filed
Intermediate Court of Appeals
CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX
10-NOV-2025
07:56 AM
Dkt. 60 SO

NO. CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE STATE OF HAWAI#I

STATE OF HAWAI#I, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
LORRAINE WELLS, Defendant-Appellant

APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT
HONOLULU DIVISION
(CASE NO. 1DCW-XX-XXXXXXX)

SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER
(By: Nakasone, Chief Judge, Hiraoka and Wadsworth, JJ.)

Lorraine Wells appeals from the Notice of Entry of
Judgment and/or Order entered by the District Court of the First
Circuit, Honolulu Division on March 12, 2024.1 We affirm.
Instead of stating points of error as required by
Hawai#i Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 28(b)(4), Wells's
opening brief states that counsel "could not find reversible
error" and "invites the Court to search the entire record for
reversible error." Wells relies on People v. Wende, 600 P.2d
1071, 1075 (Cal. 1979).
Hawai#i has neither adopted nor endorsed the Wende
procedure. Nor does Hawai#i permit Anders briefs, in which
court-appointed criminal defense counsel who believes their
client's appeal is frivolous can move to withdraw "accompanied by

1
The Honorable Kristine Y. Yoo presided.
NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

a brief referring to anything in the record that might arguably
support the appeal. . . . [T]he court — not counsel — then
proceeds, after a full examination of all the proceedings, to
decide whether the case is wholly frivolous." In re Attorney's
Fees of Mohr, 97 Hawai#i 1, 7 & n.4, 32 P.3d 647, 653 & n.4
(2001) (discussing Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 744
(1967)).
We are not obligated to search the record for
unspecified error. Cf. Haw. Ventures, LLC v. Otaka, Inc., 114
Hawai#i 438, 480, 164 P.3d 696, 738 (2007) (stating that "this
court is not obligated to sift through the voluminous record to
verify an appellant's inadequately documented contentions").
Wells has not shown error. The District Court's
March 12, 2024 Notice of Entry of Judgment and/or Order is
affirmed.
DATED: Honolulu, Hawai#i, November 10, 2025.

On the briefs:
/s/ Karen T. Nakasone
Eric Lee Niemeyer, Chief Judge
for Defendant-Appellant.
/s/ Keith K. Hiraoka
Loren J. Thomas, Associate Judge
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney,
City and County of Honolulu, /s/ Clyde J. Wadsworth
for Plaintiff-Appellee. Associate Judge

2