Gov. David Ige ordered flags of the United States and Hawaii to be flown at half-staff at the Hawaii National Guard and all state offices and agencies on Aug. 8 to acknowledge the passing of former Chief Justice Ronald Moon.
The State of Hawaii’s Supreme Court also held a special session on Aug. 8 to honor Moon, the first Korean American to become chief justice of a state supreme court. He served in that capacity for more than 17 years prior to retiring in 2010.
“Former Chief Justice Moon served the State of Hawaii with honor and distinction,” Ige said in a recent news release from his office. “During his many years on the bench, he led by example and worked hard to instill trust in the state’s justice system. The award-winning programs he created years ago continue to be models for judicial systems across the country.”
Moon, who died in on July 4 at age 81, served 15 years as chair of the Access to Justice committee of the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators (CCJ-COSCA). In 2010, the National Center for State Courts named him a recipient of its Harry L. Carrico Award for Judicial Innovation. The award honors a state chief justice who has inspired, promoted or led an innovation of national significance in the field of judicial administration.
“What I will always remember about Chief Justice Moon, however, is his sense of humor and his lighter side, in addition to the very serious work he accomplished,” Ige said in the release.