Senate To Hold Special Session In October For Judicial Appointments
The public will have a rare opportunity for live, remote testimony to the Legislature.
The Senate will be back in session in October to consider the appointment of a new Intermediate Court of Appeals judge and a handful of other appointments to district courts.
Gov. David Ige appointed First Circuit Court Judge Karen Tooko Nakasone to the vacancy on the ICA Sept. 11. Former ICA Associate Judge Alexa Fujise retired from the position in April.
Nakasone is a former deputy public defender and attended the Boston University School of Law, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Also on Sept. 11, Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald appointed seven judges to district court positions.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider the appointments at a hearing scheduled for Oct. 1. The committee is tasked with vetting judicial candidates and making a recommendation on their appointments before the 25-member Senate votes on the nominees.
The Senate also plans to use the special session as a chance to test live, remote public testimony. The State Capitol has been shut off to the public since March after Sen. Clarence Nishihara tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Legislature held two sessions over the summer at which the public was only allowed to submit written testimony.
The committee will likely use Zoom to conduct the remote testimony, according to Jacob Aki, chief of staff for Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English.
