Judicial Selection Commission Press Release – Circuit Judge, Circuit Court of the First Circuit Nominees

News Release from Judicial Selection Commission, Feb 5, 2018

Under the Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi, Article VI, Appointment of Justices and Judges, Section 3: “The governor, with the consent of the senate, shall fill a vacancy in the office of the chief justice, supreme court, intermediate appellate court and circuit courts, by appointing a person from a list of not less than four, and not more than six, nominees for the vacancy, presented to the governor by the judicial selection commission.”

The Judicial Selection Commission is pleased to announce a list of nominees for the judicial vacancy of Circuit Judge, Circuit Court of the First Circuit (island of Oʻahu), State of Hawaiʻi.  The judicial office has been vacant since the retirement of Circuit Judge Rhonda A. Nishimura in August 2017.

The list of nominees selected by the Commission to fill the vacancy for the judicial office in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit are listed as follows in alphabetical order:

• James H. Ashford
• Karin L. Holma
• Ronald G. Johnson
• James S. Kawashima
• Summer M. M. Kupau-Odo
• Kevin A. K. Souza

The Governor has 30 days from his receipt of the list today to make his appointment.

Statistics

• Total Applicants:  25; 4 Females; 21 Males
• Government Attorneys:  10
• Private Attorneys:  12
• Per Diem Judges:  4
• Judges:  3
• Age Range:  2 (31-40); 5 (41-50); 15 (51-60); 3 (61-70)
• Years Licensed Range:  13 years to 38 years

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Judicial Selection Commission Press Release – District Judge, District Court of the First Circuit Nominees

News Release from Judicial Selection Commission, Feb 5, 2018

Under the Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi, Article VI, Appointment of Justices and Judges, Section 3: “The chief justice, with the consent of the senate, shall fill a vacancy in the district courts by appointing a person from a list of not less than six nominees for the vacancy presented by the judicial selection commission.”

The Judicial Selection Commission is pleased to announce a list of nominees for the judicial vacancy of District Judge, District Court of the First Circuit (island of Oʻahu), State of Hawaiʻi.  The judicial office has been vacant since the retirement of District Judge Lanson K. Kupau in June 2017.

The list of nominees selected by the Commission to fill the vacancy for the judicial office of District Judge, District Court of the First Circuit are listed as follows in alphabetical order:

• Tracy S. Fukui
• Chastity T. Imamura
• Summer M. M. Kupau-Odo
• Kevin T. Morikone
• Kenneth J. Shimozono
• Henry P. Ting

The Chief Justice has 30 days from his receipt of the list today to make his appointment.

Statistics

• Total Applicants:  40; 11 Females; 29 Males
• Government Attorneys:  20
• Private Attorneys:  20
• Per Diem Judges:  5
• Age Range:  6 (31-40); 13 (41-50); 16 (51-60); 5 (61-70)
• Years Licensed Range:  10 years to 38 years  

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GOVERNOR TO CONSIDER NOMINEES TO FILL VACANCIES IN FIRST CIRCUIT COURT AND INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

News Release from Office of the Governor, Feb 5, 2018

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige has received a list of nominees from the Judicial Selection Commission for the vacancy created by the retirement of former Circuit Judge Rhonda A. Nishimura in Aug. 2017 and to fill the anticipated vacancy created by the retirement of Intermediate Court of Appeals Chief Judge Craig H. Nakamura in March 2018.

The commission submitted the list of nominees to the governor today after careful evaluation and investigation into the background and qualifications of each applicant.

The nominees for the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (island of Oʻahu) are:

• James H. Ashford, Judge, District Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaiʻi
• Karin L. Holma, Managing Partner, Bays Lung Rose & Holma
• Ronald G. Johnson, Assistant United States Attorney, Federal Prosecutor
• James S. Kawashima, District Judge, District Court of the First Circuit
• Summer M.M. Kupau-Odo, Associate Attorney, Earthjustice
• Kevin A.K. Souza, Judge, Family Court of the First Circuit

The nominees for the Intermediate Court of Appeals are:

• Derrick H.M. Chan, Associate Judge, Intermediate Court of Appeals
• Lisa M. Ginoza, Associate Judge, Intermediate Court of Appeals
• John M. Tonaki, Public Defender, State of Hawaiʻi
• Clyde J. Wadsworth, Attorney, Solicitor General of the State of Hawaiʻi

Gov. Ige will interview each nominee and is seeking public comment on the governor’s website: http://governor.hawaii.gov/contact-us/contact-the-governor/.

Gov. Ige has 30 days, or until March 7, 2018 to make his appointments. Both appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

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Chief Justice Seeks Public Comment on Judicial Nominees

News Release from Hawaii Judiciary, Feb 5, 2018

Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald announced today that he is seeking public comment on judicial nominees for a vacancy in the District Court of the First Circuit (Island of Oahu).

The names submitted for this vacancy by the Judicial Selection Commission, in alphabetical order, are:

Tracy S. Fukui
Ms. Fukui is currently employed as a Supervising Deputy Corporation Counsel with the City and County of Honolulu, Department of the Corporation Counsel. Fukui is a graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 1998.

Chastity T. Imamura
Ms. Imamura is currently employed as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney in Honolulu. Imamura is a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2002.

Summer M.M. Kupau-Odo
Ms. Kupau-Odo is currently employed as an Associate Attorney with Earthjustice. Kupau-Odo is a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2004.

Kevin T. Morikone
Mr. Morikone is currently employed with Hosoda & Morikone, LLC, and serves as Per Diem Judge of the District Family Court of the First Circuit. Morikone is a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2007.

Kenneth J. Shimozono
Mr. Shimozono is currently employed with Takemoto & Shimozono, LLC, and serves as Per Diem Judge of the District Family Court of the First Circuit. Shimozono is a graduate of Willamette University College of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 1994.

Henry P. Ting
Mr. Ting is currently employed as a Deputy Public Defender with the State of Hawaii Office of the Public Defender. Ting is a graduate of Cornell Law School and was admitted to the Hawaii Star Bar in 1998.

Because the Chief Justice has the discretion to assign judges to the district or district family court calendar, comments about the qualifications and character of any of the nominees with regard to either calendar assignment may be sent, in writing, to:

Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald
Supreme Court of Hawaii
417 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

Fax:  (808) 539-4703
E-mail:  chiefjustice@courts.hawaii.gov

Comments must be post-marked, e-mailed, faxed, or hand delivered no later than Friday, February 16, 2018. All comments will be kept confidential.

The individual selected by the Chief Justice is subject to Senate confirmation.