GOVERNOR LINGLE NOMINATES EDWIN NACINO AS FIRST CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today nominated District Court Judge Edwin C. Nacino to serve as a Circuit Court judge of the First Circuit (O‘ahu).  If confirmed by the State Senate, Nacino will fill the vacant seat created by the retirement of Judge Karen Blondin.

“District Court Judge Nacino’s judicial experience, combined with his extensive experience as a prosecuting attorney, deputy corporation counsel and private attorney make him ideally suited to serve as a Circuit Court judge,” said Governor Lingle.  “I am impressed with his broad legal background and understanding of the judicial system.  He also has garnered high respect from Hawai‘i’s legal community as evidenced by the strong public comments in support of Judge Nacino.  He has been an outstanding public servant, and I am proud to appoint him to the Circuit Court.”

Nacino has been a district court judge since September 2005, assigned to the criminal calendar of the First Circuit, District Court.  He has also presided in Circuit Court as a replacement circuit judge.

Prior to being named to the District Court, Nacino was a partner with the law firm of Roeca, Louie and Hiraoka, specializing in litigation.  He served as both lead and co-counsel on cases and litigated, arbitrated and mediated cases involving professional malpractice, medical malpractice, wrongful death, tort and premises liability, police misconduct, product liability, construction defects, and first- and third-party insurance coverage disputes. He also served as an attorney with the Law Office of James T. Wong.

As a practicing attorney, Nacino had the opportunity to prepare appellate briefs to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court, Hawai‘i Intermediate Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. 

Nacino served for four years as deputy corporation counsel in the City’s Department of Corporation Counsel, where he was able to try several civil jury trials at the Federal District Court level. While in the Corporation Counsel’s office, he was also appointed as a Court Annexed Arbitration Program (CAAP) arbitrator and served as the arbitrator in numerous CAAP arbitrations.

He worked for two-and-a-half years at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office where he tried jury and non-jury cases involving misdemeanor and felonies at the District, Family and Circuit Court levels.

After graduating from the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law, Nacino served as a judicial law clerk to Judge Ronald Greig and Judge Wendell Huddy. 

Before beginning his legal career, Nacino was a police officer with the Honolulu Police Department for approximately eight-and-a-half years.

Nacino is an active member in the community, having served as a volunteer board member for the Wai‘alae Charter School Board and a reading tutor at Ka‘ewai Elementary School. He is currently a volunteer with the William Richardson School of Law’s pre-trial litigation workshops, assisting adjunct professors in pre-trial litigation. He also participates in the annual Hawai‘i High Schools Mock Trials as a volunteer judge and also volunteered as a speaker for the Farrington High School Adult Education program. Nacino also devotes time as a delivery person for Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels delivering dinner service to the elderly and infirm.

Governor Lingle selected Nacino from a list of six candidates submitted to her by the Judicial Selection Commission on September 29, 2009. The Governor made the list available to the public to solicit public comments on the six candidates.

Since taking office in December 2002, Governor Lingle has appointed 12 judges to the Circuit Court.  She has also named two justices to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court and four judges to the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

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ADV: Lingle nominates Nacino to be Oahu Circuit Court judge  (Senate may call special session to approve nomination)

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