HONOLULU – Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald today appointed Annalisa M. Bernard to fill a judicial position in the District Court of the Second Circuit (Maui County). Bernard has been employed at Wong Leong Cuccia since 2021. Prior to that she worked as a Maui Deputy Prosecuting Attorney from 2015 to 2021 and a Deputy […]
The Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court convened in special session today for the swearing-in of the Honorable Kirstin M. Hamman as Judge of the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit in Maui County.
HONOLULU – The Hawaii Supreme Court convened today by Zoom, and more than 150 students on two islands watched the oral argument in a case they had studied through the Courts in the Community program. Participating schools were Aiea and Moanalua high schools on Oahu, and Molokai High. This was the second time since the […]
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Maui attorney Chris Dunn (right) is pictured with his wife, Pualani Enos. The state Senate voted unanimously Friday to confirm Dunnâs appointment as a 2nd Circuit judge. â Photo courtesy Chris Dunn
The state Senate voted unanimously Friday to confirm the appointments of longtime Maui attorneys Chris Dunn and Jim Rouse as 2nd Circuit judges.
Dunn will serve as a District Court judge, while Rouse will serve as a District Family Court judge.
“I found my career as a community defense attorney here to be very rewarding,” said Dunn, who has had a private practice in Wailuku for the past 18 years. “I feel like it was a public service of sorts, particularly the opportunity to represent indigent defendants on a court-appointed basis.
DAMIR KOULIEV
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the practice of law in many ways. If you’re navigating the legal system this year, here are some things you should know.
Perhaps the biggest development has been the shift to attending most types of hearings remotely.
While judges and judicial staff are still in court, others can participate off-site using the apps Webex Meet or Zoom, with the meeting codes posted online at www.courts.state.hi.us/remote-court-hearings-via-zoom-or-webex.
While some glitches are inevitable, and not all hearings can be held this way, this method is too convenient and intuitive to not stay long term, especially given how much it reduces the number of no-shows, defaults and bench warrants. Note that remote hearings are still formal proceedings, so participants should select a quiet setting, wear proper attire and use headsets if possible.