HONOLULU, December 4 – Governor Linda Lingle today released a list of judicial nominees that was provided to her by the Judicial Selection Commission to fill a vacancy on First Circuit Court which covers the island of O‘ahu. 

As she has done since first taking office, Governor Lingle is making the list available to the public to encourage public comment on the nominees. 

The list of six nominees is the product of the Judicial Selection Commission’s review of the background and qualifications of all applicants and its evaluation of each applicant. The Commission does not rank the candidates.  

Nominees to fill a vacancy in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (O‘ahu)

Cecelia Choi Yuk Chang – Current position:  Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu.  Prior experience:  special assistant United States attorney; Department of the Corporation Counsel; Goodsill, Anderson, Quinn and Stifel; law clerk, Circuit Court Judge Robert Chang.
Douglas A. Crosier – Current position: sole proprietor, Law Office of Douglas A. Crosier.  Prior experience: partner, Rush, Moore, Craven Sutton, Morry & Beh; partner, Reinwald, O’Connor, Marrack, Hoskins & Playdon; senior deputy prosecuting attorney, Office of the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu; chief counsel, Legislature, House Minority Legal Office; senior staff attorney and vice president, The Divorce Clinic; partner, Hendry, Ebisue & Crosier; associate attorney, Robert Franklin. 
Stephen Harris Levins – Current position: executive director, Office of Consumer Protection.  Prior experience: associate, Schutter & Glickstein; deputy corporation counsel; deputy prosecuting attorney.
Edwin C. Nacino – Current position: district judge, District Court of the First Circuit.  Prior experience: trial attorney associate/partner, Roeca, Louie & Hiraoka; claims manager; Department of the Corporation Counsel; Office of the Prosecuting Attorney; law clerk, Judges Ronald Greig and Wendell Huddy; Honolulu Police Department.
Steven Masanobu Nakashima – Current position: Marr, Hipp, Jones & Pepper.  Prior experience: district judge, District Court of the First Circuit; Goodsill, Anderson, Quinn & Stifel; law clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; law clerk, attorney general, State of Hawai‘i; law clerk, attorney general, State of Oregon.
Rom Alex Trader – Current position: deputy prosecuting attorney.  Prior experience: law clerk, Judge Ronald Greig; adjunct professor, University of Hawai‘i Law School.

The Governor has 30 days from receipt of the list (December 3, 2008) to make her selection.
Public comments on the nominees may be sent via e-mail to Governor.Lingle@hawaii.gov or by fax at 808-586-0006.  All comments should be submitted by the close of business on Friday, December 12, 2008.