Hawai‘i State Senate to hold special session on Intermediate Court of Appeals
and other judicial appointments
Judiciary Committee hearing on the appointments scheduled for October 1
will feature live remote public testimony
The Hawai‘i State Senate is scheduled to convene for a special session to review Governor David Ige’s appointment for a vacancy on the Hawai‘i Intermediate Court of Appeals and the Chief Justice's appointments on a number of district court positions.
Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA) Associate Judge Alexa D.M. Fujise retired in April 2020; the special session will consider the Governor's appointment to fill the vacancy and restore the ICA to its full complement of six members.
The process will begin with a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, chaired by Senator Karl Rhoads and vice chaired by Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, on Thursday, October 1, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.
The Senate will be welcoming live remote public testimony via videoconference, as the Capitol building remains closed to the public due to COVID-19. This remote testimony option will also allow neighbor island residents to testify without traveling to Honolulu.
Members of the public who wish to testify via videoconference should use the Legislature's website (www.capitol.hawaii.gov) to submit their written testimony and select "yes" when asked if they will be testifying remotely for the hearing. Written testimony is required to participate via videoconference and must be submitted at least 24 hours before the hearing. Additional information and details will be on the hearing notice and capitol website.
The Senate will convene in a floor session on Monday, October 5 at 10:00 a.m. This will be followed by a separate decision-making meeting of the Judiciary Committee at 10:30 a.m. Final Senate votes on the appointments are expected on Tuesday, October 6 at 11:30 a.m.
To allow access to the proceedings while the State Capitol building is closed to the public, the Senate will live stream all Senate hearings and floor sessions over the internet. Selected proceedings will also be broadcasted on ‘Ōlelo and neighbor island cable networks. The public is encouraged to participate by submitting written testimony or testifying remotely. No in-person testimony will be allowed at this time due to COVID-19.
Following several delays due to COVID-19, the Hawai‘i State Senate’s 2020 session finally adjourned permanently on July 10. This special session will only address the pending judicial appointments.