NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI`I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER

Defendant-Appellant Remilito Pablo (Pablo) appeals from the Judgment of Conviction and Sentence filed on June 9, 2011 in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (circuit court).1

On appeal, Pablo argues that the circuit court erred in admitting over his objection the testimony of Honolulu Police Department (HPD) criminalist Jeanette Ardiente (Ardiente) regarding the weight of drug evidence she analyzed, where an inadequate foundation was laid for admission of evidence regarding the accuracy of the analytic balance she used.

Upon careful review of the record and the briefs submitted by the parties and having given due consideration to the arguments advanced and the issues raised by the parties, we conclude Pablo's appeal is without merit.

The State laid a proper foundation for admission of evidence regarding the accuracy of the analytic balance Ardiente used. Ardiente testified that before she weighed the drug evidence, she ensured the balance was calibrated according to the manufacturer's recommendations by pressing the device's Auto Calibrate button, as she was trained to do. Ardiente "had personal knowledge that the balance had been correctly calibrated." State v. Wallace, 80 Haw. 382, 412, 910 P.2d 695, 725 (1996). Cf. State v. Manewa, 115 Haw. 343, 355, 167 P.3d 336, 348 (2007) (where expert who weighed drug evidence did not calibrate electronic balance himself but merely assumed manufacturer's representative properly done so, foundation for evidence as to weight of drug evidence was inadequate). Given the foregoing, circuit court did not abuse its discretion by admitting Ardiente's testimony regarding the weight of the drug evidence.

Therefore,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Judgment of Conviction and Sentence filed on June 9, 2011 in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit is affirmed.