HONOLULU – The Judicial Selection Commission has submitted the names of four nominees for the judicial vacancy in the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit (Hawai‘i Island). The position has been vacant since the retirement of Circuit Judge Greg K. Nakamura in November 2019.
The commission has investigated the backgrounds and qualifications of the applicants and submitted the list of nominees to Gov. David Ige on Friday, Feb. 14.
The nominees are:
Jeffrey A. Hawk currently serves as an attorney and per diem judge of Family Court, Third Circuit. He earned his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and is the recipient of the 1996 Bernard Levinson Award for Best Constitutional Law Paper.
He also has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley.
William B. Heflin is a partner and attorney at the law firm of Alcain Naniole & Heflin. He is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He has an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Honolulu Community College and a B.A. in History from Sopha University in Japan, where he also earned a 1st degree black belt in Aikido.
Peter K. Kubota is an attorney in private practice with his own firm – Peter K. Kubota, Attorney at Law. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He also attended the University of Oregon and earned a B.B.A in Finance at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa College of Business.
Jeffrey W.S. Ng is a senior trial deputy public defender with the State of Hawai‘i. He has a Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Governor Ige will interview each nominee and is seeking public comment on the governor’s website at governor.hawaii.gov – Contact the Governor.
The governor has 30 calendar days or until Mar. 15 to make his appointment, which is subject to Senate confirmation.