The Judicial Selection Commission has announced the nominees for the position of District Family Judge in the First Circuit on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii. This vacancy arose following the promotion of former District Family Judge Dyan M. Medeiros to Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in September 2024.
Under Article VI, Section 3 of the State Constitution, 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 for this judicial office are Russ S. Awakuni, Kyle T. Dowd, Simeona L. L. A. Mariano, Scott M. Spallina, Taryn R. Tomasa Gifford, and Wilson A. Unga. These names have been provided in alphabetical order.
Statistics regarding applicants reveal that there were 20 candidates: 8 females and 12 males; 10 government attorneys and 10 private attorneys; and among them were 7 per diem judges. The age range varied from one applicant aged between 31-40 years to another between 61-70 years old, with most falling within two middle age groups (41-50 and 51-60). Experience levels ranged from being licensed for as little as 11 years to as long as 38 years.
The Chief Justice is now tasked with selecting one nominee within a period of thirty days from receiving this list today.
Meetings leading up to this decision took place over a recruitment period spanning 105 days, concluding in March 2025 with seven commissioners present.