The Judicial Selection Commission has released the list of nominees for the position of District Family Judge in the Second Circuit, covering the island of Maui, State of Hawaiʻi. This announcement follows the retirement of District Family Judge Adrianne N. M. L. Heely Caires in May 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 for this judicial office are Bevanne J. Bowers, Lance D. Collins, Zachary P. Raidmae, and Sonya H. Toma. The Chief Justice now has 30 days from receipt of this list to make an appointment.
In terms of statistics regarding applicants: there were six total applicants consisting of two females and four males; four were first-time applicants; three were government attorneys; two were private attorneys; two served as per diem judges; and one came from another occupation.
Applicants' ages ranged mostly between 41-50 years old, with one applicant each in both older age brackets (51-60 and 61-70). Their years licensed ranged from 11 to 29 years.