Under the Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi, Article VI, Section 3, the chief justice is tasked with filling a vacancy in the district courts by appointing a nominee from a list provided by the Judicial Selection Commission. This list must include between four and six candidates. The recent vacancy for the District Judge position in the District Court of the First Circuit on Oʻahu occurred following former District Judge Brian A. Costa's promotion to Circuit Judge.
The Judicial Selection Commission has announced its nominees for this position. The candidates, listed alphabetically, are Russ S. Awakuni, William C. Bagasol, Chad M. Kumagai, Taryn R. Tomasa Gifford, Wilson A. Unga, and Rochelle I. Vidinha (Cusumano). "The Chief Justice has 30 days from his receipt of the list today to make his appointment," according to the commission.
The selection process involved 23 applicants, comprising eight females and fifteen males. Among these were seven first-time applicants and a mix of government attorneys (11), private attorneys (12), and per diem judges (7). Applicants' ages ranged primarily from 31 to 70 years old, with their legal experience spanning 11 to 38 years.
The recruitment process lasted 105 days and concluded with meetings held in March 2025 attended by seven commissioners.