GOVERNOR IGE TO CONSIDER FIVE JUDICIAL NOMINEES FOR FIRST CIRCUIT COURT

Office of the Governor Press Release, Aug 24, 2022

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige has received the names of five nominees to fill a circuit judge vacancy in the First Circuit Court. The judicial office has been vacant since the retirement of Circuit Judge Bert I. Ayabe in October 2021.

The state’s Judicial Selection Commission submitted the list of nominees to Gov. Ige Wednesday morning, after careful evaluation and investigation into the backgrounds and qualifications of the applicants.

The nominees are:

Harvey M. Demetrakopoulos: has worked as an attorney in private practice since 1989. He is currently employed by Shim & Chang, AAL, ALC,  where he specializes in personal injury litigation. He earned his juris doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He also has a BA in history from UH Mānoa.

Timothy E. Ho: is a per diem judge with the District Court of the First Circuit in the State of Hawaiʻi. He has previously worked as an associate attorney in private practice, served as chief deputy public defender and in various capacities with the Office of the Public Defender, and was a lecturer and adjunct professor at the William S. Richardson School of Law. He is a graduate of Creighton University and earned his J.D. at the William S. Richardson School of Law at UH Mānoa.

James S. Kawashima: is currently serving as a judge with the District Court of the First Circuit in the State of Hawaiʻi. He previously served as a per diem judge with the District Court, worked as an attorney in private practice, was chief instructor of the SAT program at Le Jardin Academy and Punahou School and was an adjunct instructor with Kapiʻolani Community College’s paralegal program.  Kawashima earned his J.D. at the University of Southern California and is a graduate of Princeton University.

Jordon J. Kimura: is an attorney/partner in private practice who is currently employed by McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP. He earned his juris doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is also a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Rochelle I. Vidinha: has served as a deputy prosecuting attorney with the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney since 2001. She previously served with the Hawaiʻi Paroling Authority under the Department of Public Safety. Vidinha earned her juris doctorate from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Gov. Ige will interview each nominee and must make his appointment within 30 days, or by Sept. 23, 2022. Members of the public are invited to provide comments on the nominees at https://governor.hawaii.gov/contact-us/contact-the-governor/.

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Judicial Selection Commission Press Release – Circuit Judge, Circuit Court of the First Circuit Nominees (Release Date: 08/24/2022) (Release Date 08/24/2022)

Under the Constitution of the State of Hawai`i, 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 Hawai`i.  The judicial office has been vacant since the retirement of Circuit Judge Bert I. Ayabe in October 2021.

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

Harvey M. Demetrakopoulos
Timothy E. Ho
James S. Kawashima
Jordon J. Kimura
Rochelle I. Vidinha (Cusumano)

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

Statistics

Total Applicants:  15; 5 Females; 10 Males
Government Attorneys:  7
Private Attorneys:  5
Per Diem Judges:  1
Judges:  1
Other:  2
Age Range:  1 (31-40); 5 (41-50); 7 (51-60); 2 (61-70)
Years Licensed Range:  13 years to 37 years

1 Applicant withdrew before meeting with the Judicial Selection Commission and is not included in the statistics above

**Meetings held and decisions made in July 2022 with 7 Commissioners present.

Vacancy advertised for a total of 90 days

SA: Gov. David Ige to nominate next Circuit Court judge