Hawaii Supreme Court
| Hawaii Supreme Court | |||
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| Court information | |||
| Justices: | 5 | ||
| Founded: | 1841 | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Comm. select., Gov. appt. | ||
| Term: | 10 years | ||
| Active justices | |||
|
Simeon Acoba • Mark Recktenwald • Sabrina S. McKenna • Richard W. Pollack • | |||
| Former justices | |||
Contents |
Founded in 1841, the Hawaii Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort.
Justices
The current justices of the court are:| Judge | Term | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justice Simeon Acoba | 2000-2014 | Ben Cayetano | |
| Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald | 2009-2020 | Linda Lingle | |
| Justice Sabrina S. McKenna | 2011-2021 | Neil Abercrombie | |
| Justice Richard W. Pollack | 2012 - 2020 (Mandatory Retirement) | Neil Abercrombie |
Jurisdiction
The Hawaii Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction over cases decided in lower courts within the state. These appeals come in the form of reserved and certified questions from lower courts or federal courts, and writs of certiorari. The court has exclusive jurisdiction over elections cases, rules governing the procedures of all state courts, and regulation and discipline of attorneys and judges.[1]
Judicial selection
Judges are selected using the commission-selection, political appointment method of judicial selection where the Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission forwards a list of candidates to the Governor. The Governor of Hawaii then appoints a candidate who must then be confirmed by the Hawaii State Senate. Justices serve renewable ten year terms which are approved or denied by the Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission. There is a mandatory retirement age of 70 for the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is appointed in the same method, but the appointment can be made from current members of the court.[2]
Qualifications
Minimum qualifications for appointment to the court are:
- Under the age of 70 at time of appointment.
- Resident of Hawaii and the United States of America.
- Licensed to practice law for no less than ten years prior to appointment.
- Not holding other political office or actively practicing law after appointment.[3]
Removal of Justices
Judges may be removed in two ways:
- Not retained by the Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission.
- The Commission on Judicial Conduct has the authority to "investigate and conduct hearings concerning allegations of judicial misconduct or disability and to recommend to the supreme court that a judge be reprimanded, disciplined, suspended, retired, or removed."[4]
Caseloads
| Fiscal Year | Primary cases filed | Supplemental proceedings filed | Primary cases terminated | Primary cases pending | Supplemental cases pending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 143 | 354 | 147 | 24 | 17 |
| 2009 | 127 | 301 | 127 | 28 | 35 |
Salaries
The Associate Justices of the court receive $151,118 annually, while the Chief Justice makes $156,727. [7]
Notable decisions
History of the court
Notable firsts
See also
- Courts in Hawaii
- Judicial selection in Hawaii
- Hawaii judicial news
- Hawaii blogs
- News: HI Governor appoints Richard Pollack to the State Supreme Court, June 6, 2012
External links
- Hawaii Judiciary Official Site
- Hawaii Legal News
- Hawaii appellate court opinions and orders
- Hawaii Bar Association website
References
- ↑ Hawaii Supreme Court Website
- ↑ Justices information from the Hawaii Supreme Court website
- ↑ Hawaii Application for Judicial Office
- ↑ Methods of Judicial selection: Removal of Judges
- ↑ Hawaii Court System, Annual Report 2010 (scroll to page 10)
- ↑ Hawaii Court System, Annual Report 2009 (scroll to page 8)
- ↑ National Center for the State Courts, Hawaii

| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current |
Simeon Acoba • Mark Recktenwald • Sabrina S. McKenna • Richard W. Pollack • | ||
| Former | Ronald Moon • Steven Levinson • Paula Nakayama • James E. Duffy, Jr. • | ||
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