GOV. IGE TO CONSIDER NOMINEES FOR JUDICIAL VACANCY IN HAWAII ISLAND’S CIRCUIT COURT

News Release from Office of the Governor, Feb 14, 2020

HONOLULU – The Judicial Selection Commission has submitted the names of four nominees for the judicial vacancy in the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit (Hawai‘i Island). The position has been vacant since the retirement of Circuit Judge Greg K. Nakamura in November 2019.

The commission has investigated the backgrounds and qualifications of the applicants and submitted the list of nominees to Gov. David Ige on Friday, Feb. 14.

The nominees are:

Jeffrey A. Hawk currently serves as an attorney and per diem judge of Family Court, Third Circuit. He earned his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and is the recipient of the 1996 Bernard Levinson Award for Best Constitutional Law Paper. He also has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley.

William B. Heflin is a partner and attorney at the law firm of Alcain Naniole & Heflin. He is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He has an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Honolulu Community College and a B.A. in History from Sopha University in Japan, where he also earned a 1st degree black belt in Aikido.

Peter K. Kubota is an attorney in private practice with his own firm – Peter K. Kubota, Attorney at Law. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He also attended the University of Oregon and earned a B.B.A in Finance at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa College of Business.

Jeffrey W.S. Ng is a senior trial deputy public defender with the State of Hawai‘i. He has a Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Governor Ige will interview each nominee and is seeking public comment on the governor’s website at governor.hawaii.gov – Contact the Governor.

The governor has 30 calendar days or until Mar. 15 to make his appointment, which is subject to Senate confirmation.

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Circuit Judge, Circuit Court of the Third Circuit Nominees

News Release from JSC, Feb 14, 2020

Under the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, 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 Third Circuit (island of Hawaii), State of Hawaii.  The judicial office has been vacant since the retirement of Circuit Judge Greg K. Nakamura in November 2019.

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

Jeffrey A. Hawk
William B. Heflin
Peter K. Kubota
Jeffrey W. S. Ng 

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

Statistics

Total Applicants:  6; 0 Females; 6 Males
Government Attorneys:  2
Private Attorneys:  3
Per Diem Judges:  2
Judges:  1
Age Range:  0 (31-40); 1 (41-50); 5 (51-60); 0 (61-70)
Years Licensed Range:  16 years to 30 years