Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – Members of the House Native Hawaiian Caucus sent a letter to Governor David Ige today expressing their concern regarding his recent selection to fill a vacancy on the Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA). The caucus writes that Ige's choices during his term in office have not provided equitable racial and gender representation to judges for our highest courts and the members ask that he withdraw his most recent nominee from consideration.
The letter is signed Representative Daniel Holt, who serves as the Chair of the House Native Hawaiian Caucus, along with 12 of his fellow caucus members and states:
"We share concerns regarding equitable racial and gender representation in our judiciary. Throughout your term as Governor, though the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association has consistently delivered qualified candidates from the pool of prospective judicial applicants, you have not made equitable representation in our judiciary a priority."
"We acknowledge that at present, there are no native Hawaiian, Filipino, Pacific Islander, or African American judges at the Supreme Court or the ICA. It has been over 20 years since a native Hawaiian has been appointed to serve on the Hawai`i Supreme Court and nearly 30 years since a native Hawaiian has been appointed to serve on the ICA."
On July 8 Ige announced the appointment of Daniel Gluck to the Intermediate Court of Appeals to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Associate Judge Derrick H.M. Chan last October. The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
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