Judicial Selection Commission Appoints Cahill

News Release from Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission June 14, 2012

The Judicial Selection Commission is pleased to announce that it has appointed private attorney Peter Timothy Cahill to fill the judicial vacancy on the Second Circuit Court bench in Maui County. That vacancy was created by the recent retirement of Judge Shackley Raffetto.

Under Article VI, Section 3 of the Hawaiʻi State Constitution, the Commission was duty-bound to make an appointment after the Governor’s office failed to do so within 30 days of its receipt of the Commission’s list of nominees for the post. The Commission had submitted a list of five nominees to the Governor on May 11, 2012: Mr. Cahill, Maui District Court judge Kelsey Kawano, and Maui attorneys and per diem judges Michelle Drewyer, Lloyd Poelman, and Douglas Sameshima.

The members of the Commission therefore met as expeditiously as possible to consider the various attributes of the five nominees. The Commission holds all of the nominees in high regard, but decided on Mr. Cahill based on a number of different factors. Mr. Cahill has a wide range of experience in over 30 years in private practice as a litigator, mediator, and arbitrator of personal injury and commercial disputes. He received stellar references from judges as well as attorneys. He also has devoted a considerable amount of time to pro bono representation of clients unable to pay for legal services, and has established a reputation for fairness among his peers on Maui.

The Commission has presented Senator Shan Tsutsui, president of the Senate, with its letter of appointment of Mr. Cahill today.

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