The Judicial Selection Commission of Hawai'i has released a list of nominees for the position of Chief Judge at the Intermediate Court of Appeals. This vacancy arose following Lisa M. Ginoza's elevation to Associate Justice of the Hawai'i Supreme Court in January 2024.
According to Article VI, Section 3 of the Hawai'i Constitution, "The governor, with the consent of the senate, shall fill a vacancy in the office of the chief justice, supreme court, intermediate appellate court and circuit 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 governor by the judicial selection commission."
The nominees are:
- James H. Ashford
- Lance D. Collins
- Daniel M. Gluck
- Nickolas A. Kacprowski
- Karen T. Nakasone
Governor Josh Green now has 30 days from receiving this list to make an appointment.
The selection process saw eight applicants in total: three females and five males. Among them were two government attorneys, three private attorneys, three judges, and one per diem judge. The age range was predominantly between 41-70 years old.
The recruitment period lasted 255 days; during this time two applicants withdrew before public comment was requested or meetings with the Commission occurred.
Meetings took place in March 2025 with eight commissioners present when making their decision.