The Judicial Selection Commission has released a list of nominees for the position of District Family Judge in the First Circuit, covering the island of Oʻahu, State of Hawaiʻi. This vacancy arose following Rebecca A. Copeland's elevation to Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in September 2024.
According to Article VI, Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi, as amended by SB 2927 (2024), “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 four and not more than six nominees for the vacancy presented to the chief justice by the judicial selection commission.”
The nominees selected by the Commission are Russ S. Awakuni, Chastity T. Imamura, Maria F. Penn, Taryn R. Tomasa Gifford, Wilson A. Unga, and Rochelle I. Vidinha (Cusumano). The Chief Justice now has 30 days from receipt of this list to make an appointment.
The selection process saw 20 applicants comprising eight females and twelve males. Among them were ten government attorneys and ten private attorneys; seven were per diem judges. The age range was diverse: one applicant aged between 31-40 years, nine between 41-50 years, another nine between 51-60 years, and one between 61-70 years old. Applicants had been licensed for periods ranging from 11 to 38 years.
The recruitment process spanned over 105 days with meetings held in March 2025 attended by seven commissioners.