Chief Justice Appoints Summer Kupau-Odo as District Court Judge

News Release from Hawaii Judiciary, Oct 10, 2018

HONOLULU – Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald today appointed Summer Kupau-Odo to the District Court of the First Circuit.

Kupau-Odo has been a Co-Litigation Director and staff attorney for the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation since May. Prior to that she served five years as a senior associate attorney at the Earthjustice Mid-Pacific Office, and before that was a Deputy Public Defender for eight years. Kupau-Odo previously served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. (ret.).

Kupau-Odo is very active in the community and currently serves on the Task Force on Civil Justice Improvement; is a board member for Mental Health Kokua and Honua-Kai West Maui Community Fund; is a lawyer delegate to the U.S. District Court Judicial Conference; and serves as a mentor for the William S. Richardson School of Law’s Enviromentor Program.

Kupau-Odo is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2004.  She is originally from Maui and is a Lahainaluna High School graduate. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University.

The Chief Justice appoints District Court judges from a list of not less than six nominees submitted by the Judicial Selection Commission. If confirmed by the State Senate, Kupau-Odo will serve a term of six years.

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Chief Justice Seeks Public Comment on Judicial Nominees

News Release from Hawaii Judiciary Sep 11, 2018

HONOLULU – 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 Deputy Corporation Counsel – Section Head of the Civil Rights & Employment Litigation Division with the Department of the Corporation Counsel. Fukui is a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 1998.

Craig W. Jerome
Mr. Jerome is currently employed as an Assistant Federal Defender with the Office of the Federal Defender for the District of Hawaii. Jerome is a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2007.

Ronald G. Johnson
Mr. Johnson is currently employed as Deputy Chief of the Violent Crime and Drug Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. Johnson is a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 1987.

Summer M.M. Kupau-Odo
Ms. Kupau-Odo is currently employed as Co-Litigation Director of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. 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.

Alvin K. Nishimura
Mr. Nishimura is currently employed at Alvin K. Nishimura, Attorney at Law, and serves as a Per Diem Judge in the District Court of the First Circuit. Nishimura is a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 1985.

Richard W. Stacey
Mr. Stacey is employed as Deputy Attorney General with the Department of the Attorney General. Stacey is a graduate of Boston College Law School and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 1995.

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 Thursday, September 20, 2018. All comments will be kept confidential.

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

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

News Release from Hawaii JSC, Sep 11, 2018

Under the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, 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 elevation of former District Judge James H. Ashford to the position of Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in April 2018.

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
• Craig W. Jerome
• Ronald G. Johnson
• Summer M. M. Kupau-Odo
• Alvin K. Nishimura
• Richard W. Stacey

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

Statistics

• Total Applicants: 31; 12 Females; 19 Males
• Government Attorneys: 13
• Private Attorneys: 15
• Per Diem Judges: 7
• Other: 2
• Age Range: 6 (31-40); 11 (41-50); 9 (51-60); 5 (61-70)
• Years Licensed Range: 5 years to 38 years