Hawai’i’s Circuit Courts, four in number (the Third and Fourth Circuit Courts merged in 1943), are where all jury trials, both civil and criminal, are held in Hawai’i. The Fifth Circuit Court serves Kauai’i and Ni’ihau. Hawai’i’s Circuit Court Judges
Hawai’i’s Circuit Courts, four in number (the Third and Fourth Circuit Courts merged in 1943), are where all jury trials, both civil and criminal, are held in Hawai’i.
The Fifth Circuit Court serves Kauai’i and Ni’ihau.
Hawai’i’s Circuit Court Judges are appointed to 10-year terms.
Kaua’i’s two Circuit Court judges are George M. Masuoka, who serves as the Chief Judge. Masuoka’s present term ends July 7, 2008.
Clifford L. Nakea is the other Fifth Circuit Judge.
Nakea moved up from the District Court bench in September of 2000. His current term expires September 21, 2010.
A total of 13,071 cases were filed in Hawai’i’s circuit courts in Fiscal Year 2000-2001 according to the judiciary’s recently released 2001 annual report.
Forty-two percent (5,497) were civil cases.
The operating funds for the Fifth Circuit Court for Fiscal Year 2001 were $3,568,391, the lowest budget of the four existing courts.
Not surprisingly, the First Judicial Circuit, of which O’ahu is the basis territory, had the highest budget for Fiscal Year 2001, at $49,905,556.
There are also four District Courts serving Hawai’i.
The Fifth District Court’s Deputy Chief Judge is Calvin K. Murashige.
District Court judges are appointed to six-year terms.
Murashige’s present term is up June 24, 2005.
Trudy K. Senda, Kaua’i’s other full-time District court Judge was one of three judges appointed statewide last year (and the only one on Kaua’i.
Senda, who was appointed May 4, 2001, serves until May 3, 2007.
Before her appointment, Senda was an associate with the law offices of Council Member Randal Valenciano.
Previously, Senda worked for law offices on O’ahu.
She received her law degree from the University of Hawai’i’s William S. Richardson School of Law.
During Fiscal Year 2000-2001, 485,889 cases were filed in Hawai’i’s District Courts.
Traffic violations constituted the majority of District Court cases, accounting for 84 percent of all case filings, according to the state of the judiciary report.
There are also five per diem judges serving Kaua’i’s District Court.
These include:
Max W.J. Graham, Jr., Walton D.Y. Hong, Joseph N. Kobayashi, Gerald S. Matsunaga and Frank D. Rothschild.
During the past year, Chief Justice Ronald Moon recognized 16 state judiciary employees for their outstanding contributions to the state court system.
Two of those 16 honored are working on Kauai’i.
Receiving the Meritorious Service Award was Florita Querubin, of the District Court Office and Marilyn Siaw of Adult Probation was awarded the Spirit of the Judiciary award.
A Certificate of Commendation was presented to the Fifth Circuit Court’s Adult Probation Division, one of only two group awards prsented.
