STATE OF HAWAI‘I, Respondent/Plaintiff-Appellee, vs. MARIANO GARCES, JR., Petitioner/Defendant-Appellant.

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The above-captioned case has been set for oral argument on the merits at:

Supreme Court Courtroom
Ali‘iōlani Hale, 2nd Floor
417 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

The oral argument will also be livestreamed for public viewing via the Judiciary’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/hawaiicourts and ‘Ōlelo at olelo.org/tv-schedule/, subject to ‘Ōlelo’s programming availability. 

Attorney for Petitioner/Defendant-Appellant MARIANO GARCES, JR.:
     Brandon M. Segal

Attorney for Respondent/Plaintiff-Appellee STATE OF HAWAI‘I:
     Gerald K. Enriques, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney

NOTE: Order assigning Circuit Judge Shirley M. Kawamura due to a vacancy, filed 03/09/26.

NOTE: Order accepting Application for Writ of Certiorari, filed 03/23/26.         

NOTE: Order granting motion to continue oral argument from 06/02/26 to 07/07/26 at 10:00 a.m., filed 04/24/26.

COURT: Devens, C.J., McKenna, Eddins, and Ginoza, JJ. and Circuit Judge Kawamura assigned by reason of vacancy.

Brief Description:

This appeal concerns the admissibility of statements made by Defendant Mariano Garces Jr. (“Garces”) during a custodial interrogation and the sufficiency of the Maui Police Department’s (“MPD”) Miranda waiver form.  Garces was charged in the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit (“circuit court”) with one count of second-degree murder.  Before trial, Garces argued that his custodial statements should be suppressed.  He asserted his Miranda waiver was invalid because of his mental condition at the time of questioning and because the MPD Miranda waiver form did not inform him of his constitutional right to stop questioning at any time.

The circuit court determined that Garces voluntarily waived his Miranda rights and admitted the statements.  The jury convicted him of second-degree murder and the ICA affirmed the conviction.  Garces raises the same arguments on certiorari.