The Judicial Selection Commission has released the names of nominees for the position of District Family Judge in the First Circuit on the island of Oʻahu, State of Hawaiʻi. This vacancy arose following the promotion of former District Family Judge Rebecca A. Copeland to Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in September 2024.
According to Article VI, Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi, "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 are Russ S. Awakuni, Chastity T. Imamura, Maria F. Penn, Taryn R. Tomasa Gifford, Wilson A. Unga, and Rochelle I. Vidinha (Cusumano). The Chief Justice now has 30 days from receiving this list to make an appointment.
The commission's statistics reveal that there were 20 applicants: eight females and twelve males. Seven were first-time applicants. Among them were ten government attorneys and ten private attorneys; seven served as per diem judges. The age range varied from one applicant aged between 31-40 years to another aged between 61-70 years, with most falling between 41-60 years old. Applicants had been licensed for periods ranging from 11 to 38 years.
The recruitment process took 105 days and involved meetings held in March 2025 with seven commissioners present.