Hofelich v. State

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Electronically Filed
Intermediate Court of Appeals
CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX
05-JAN-2023
08:06 AM
Dkt. 14 ODSLJ
NO. CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE STATE OF HAWAI I

HOWARD HOFELICH, Plaintiff-Appellant, and SOUTH PACIFIC SCUBA
TOURS, INC., Plaintiff-Intervenor-Appellee, v. STATE OF HAWAII;
STATE OF HAWAII DCCA, DLNR; DENNIS KRUEGER, Esq.;
ASHFORD AND WRISTON LAW CORPORATION; DAVID KAAPU, Esq.;
CARL VICENTI; JUNG & VASSAR LAW CORPORATION; RONALD IBARRA;
DAVID LAWTON; UNITED STATES COAST GUARD VESSEL
DOCUMENTATION CENTER; GENTRY KONA MARINA, INC.; GKM, INC.;
GARY LAMBERT; RONALD EDWARD CLARK; MAKANI KAI CHARTERS, INC.;
MOCK CHEW; DIVE O CORPORATION; DIVE OAHU CORPORATION;
AACTION ADVENTURE, INC.; DIVE “O” DOES; PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF DIVE INSTRUCTORS, INC., Defendants-Appellees, and
JOHN DOES 1-10; DOE CORPORATIONS 1-10;
DOE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES 1-10, Defendants

APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRD CIRCUIT
(CIVIL NO. 3CCV-XX-XXXXXXX)

ORDER DISMISSING APPEAL FOR LACK OF APPELLATE JURISDICTION
(By: Hiraoka, Presiding Judge, McCullen and Chan, JJ.)
Upon review of the record, it appears that self-
represented Plaintiff-Appellant Howard Hofelich appeals from the
Circuit Court of the First Circuit's (circuit court) December 16,
2022 "Findings of Facts, Conclusions of Law and Order Granting
Defendants David Lawton, Esq. and Jung & Vassar, P.C.'s Motion to
Designate Plaintiff Howard Hofelich a Vexatious Litigant and for
an Order to Post Security and Prefiling Order" (Order). We
conclude that the court lacks appellate jurisdiction because the
circuit court has not entered a final, appealable order or
judgment. See Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) § 641-1(a) (2016);
Hawai i Rules of Civil Procedure Rules 54(b), 58; Jenkins v.
NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Cades Schutte Fleming & Wright, 76 Hawai i 115, 119, 869 P.2d
1334, 1338 (1994). Further, the Order is not independently
appealable under the collateral-order doctrine, the Forgay 1
doctrine, or HRS § 641-1(b). See Greer v. Baker, 137 Hawai i
249, 253, 369 P.3d 832, 836 (2016) (setting forth the
requirements for appealability under the collateral-order
doctrine and the Forgay doctrine); HRS § 641-1(b) (specifying
requirements for leave to file interlocutory appeal).
Therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the appeal is
dismissed for lack of appellate jurisdiction.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that all pending motions are
dismissed as moot.
DATED: Honolulu, Hawai i, January 5, 2023.

/s/ Keith K. Hiraoka
Presiding Judge

/s/ Sonja M.P. McCullen
Associate Judge

/s/ Derrick H.M. Chan
Associate Judge

1
Forgay v. Conrad, 47 U.S. 201 (1848).

2