:United States District Court for the District of Hawaii

{{short description|United States federal court of the 9th circuit}}

{{Infobox U.S. federal court

| court_type = district

| court_name = United States District Court for the District of Hawaii

| abbreviation = D. Haw.

| seal =

| seal_size = 150

| map_image_name = Hawaii Locator Map.PNG

| map_image_width = 150

| map_image_caption =

| courthouse = Prince Kuhio Federal Building

| location = Honolulu

| appeals_to = Ninth Circuit

| established = August 21, 1959

| judges_assigned = 4

| chief = Derrick Watson

| us_attorney = Ken Sorenson (acting)

| us_marshal = Justin Mark Davis (acting)

| official_site = {{URL|http://www.hid.uscourts.gov/}}

}}

The United States District Court for the District of Hawaii (in case citations, D. Haw.) is the principal trial court of the United States Federal Court System in the state of Hawaii. The court's territorial jurisdiction encompasses the state of Hawaii and the territories of Midway Atoll, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, Baker Island, Howland Island, and Jarvis Island;{{USC|28|91}}.{{USC|48|644a}}. it also occasionally handles (jointly with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the High Court of American Samoa) federal issues that arise in the territory of American Samoa, which has no local federal court or territorial court.https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1124T GAO (U.S. Government Accountability Office. AMERICAN SAMOA: Issues Associated with Some Federal Court Options. September 18, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2019. It is located at the Prince Kuhio Federal Building in downtown Honolulu, fronting the Aloha Tower and Honolulu Harbor. The court hears both civil and criminal cases as a court of law and equity. A branch of the district court is the United States Bankruptcy Court which also has chambers in the federal building. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over cases coming out of the District of Hawaii (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit). The United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii represents the United States in all civil and criminal cases within her district.

{{As of|2025|02|21|df=US}}, the acting United States attorney is Ken Sorenson.{{Cite press release |title=Clare E. Connors Sworn in as United States Attorney |date=January 3, 2022 |publisher=U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii |location=Honolulu, Hawaii }}

History

When the Territory of Hawaii was formed in 1900, jurisdiction was placed in the Ninth Circuit. On March 18, 1959, when the District of Hawaii was formed, the district had two judgeships for the court. On July 10, 1984, a third judgeship was added, and a fourth was added on December 1, 1990.{{cite web |title= History of the Federal Judiciary: U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii |work= Federal Judicial Center |url= https://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_hi.html |access-date= December 10, 2010 }}

Current judges

{{As of|2024|10|15|df=US}}:

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 13

| title = Chief Judge

| name = Derrick Watson|

| duty station = Honolulu

| born = 1966

| term = 2013–present

| chief term = 2022–present

| senior term = —

| appointer = Obama

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 14

| title = District Judge

| name = Jill Otake

| duty station = Honolulu

| born = 1973

| term = 2018–present

| chief term = —

| senior term = —

| appointer = Trump

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 15

| title = District Judge

| name = Micah W. J. Smith

| duty station = Honolulu

| born = 1981

| term = 2024–present

| chief term = —

| senior term = —

| appointer = Biden

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 16

| title = District Judge

| name = Shanlyn A. S. Park

| duty station = Honolulu

| born = 1969

| term = 2024–present

| chief term = —

| senior term = —

| appointer = Biden

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 8

| title = Senior Judge

| name = David Alan Ezra|

| duty station = San Antonio, TexasJudge Ezra has sat with the Western District of Texas since taking senior status.|

| born = 1947

| term = 1988–2012

| chief term = 1999–2005

| senior term = 2012–present

| appointer = Reagan

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 9

| title = Senior Judge

| name = Helen W. Gillmor

| duty station = Honolulu

| born = 1942

| term = 1994–2009

| chief term = 2005–2009

| senior term = 2009–present

| appointer = Clinton

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 10

| title = Senior Judge

| name = Susan Oki Mollway

| duty station = Honolulu

| born = 1950

| term = 1998–2015

| chief term = 2009–2015

| senior term = 2015–present

| appointer = Clinton

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 11

| title = Senior Judge

| name = John Michael Seabright

| duty station = Honolulu

| born = 1959

| term = 2005–2024

| chief term = 2015–2022

| senior term = 2024–present

| appointer = G.W. Bush

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Current

| index = 12

| title = Senior Judge

| name = Leslie E. Kobayashi

| duty station = Honolulu

| born = 1957

| term = 2010–2024

| chief term = —

| senior term = 2024–present

| appointer = Obama

}}

Former judges

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=1|

name={{sortname|Cyrus Nils|Tavares}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1902–1976|

term=1960–1972Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 10, 1961, confirmed by the Senate on September 21, 1961, and received commission on September 22, 1961.|

chief term=1960–1961|

senior term=1972–1976|

appointer={{sortname||Eisenhower|List of federal judges appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower}}|

termination=death|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=2|

name={{sortname|Martin|Pence}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1904–2000|

term=1961–1974|

chief term=1961–1974|

senior term=1974–2000|

appointer={{sortname||Kennedy|List of federal judges appointed by John F. Kennedy}}|

termination=retirement|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=3|

name={{sortname|Samuel Pailthorpe|King}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1916–2010|

term=1972–1984|

chief term=1974–1984|

senior term=1984–2010|

appointer={{sortname||Nixon|List of federal judges appointed by Richard Nixon}}|

termination=death|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=4|

name={{sortname|Dick Yin|Wong}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1920–1978|

term=1975–1978|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Ford|List of federal judges appointed by Gerald Ford}}|

termination=death|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=5|

name={{sortname|Walter|Heen}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1928–present|

term=1981Recess appointment made by President Carter; President Reagan later withdrew the nomination before the Senate could act.|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Carter|List of federal judges appointed by Jimmy Carter}}|

termination=nomination withdrawn|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=6|

name={{sortname|Harold|Fong}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1938–1995|

term=1982–1995|

chief term=1984–1991|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Reagan|List of federal judges appointed by Ronald Reagan}} |

termination=death|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former

| index = 7

| name = {{sortname|Alan Cooke|Kay}}

| state = HI

| borndied = 1932–2024

| term = 1986–2000

| chief term = 1991–1999

| senior term = 2000–2024

| appointer ={{sortname||Reagan|List of federal judges appointed by Ronald Reagan}}

| termination = death

}}

Chief judges

Succession of seats

{{start U.S. judge succession

| seat title = Seat 1

}}

{{U.S. judge succession note

| text = Seat established on August 21, 1959 by 73 Stat. 4

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Tavares

| term = 1961–1972

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = King

| term = 1972–1984

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Ezra

| term = 1988–2012

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Watson

| term = 2013–present

}}

{{start U.S. judge succession

| seat title = Seat 2

}}

{{U.S. judge succession note

| text = Seat established on August 21, 1959 by 73 Stat. 4

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Pence

| term = 1961–1974

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Wong

| term = 1975–1978

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Heen

| term = 1981

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Fong

| term = 1982–1995

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Mollway

| term = 1998–2015

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Otake

| term = 2018–present

}}

{{start U.S. judge succession

| seat title = Seat 3

}}

{{U.S. judge succession note

| text = Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Kay

| term = 1986–2000

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Seabright

| term = 2005–2024

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Smith

| term = 2024–present

}}

{{start U.S. judge succession

| seat title = Seat 4

}}

{{U.S. judge succession note

| text = Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 (temporary)

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Gillmor

| term = 1994–2009

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Kobayashi

| term = 2010–2024

}}

{{U.S. judge succession note

| text = Seat made permanent on December 23, 2024 by 138 Stat. 2693

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Park

| term = 2024–present

}}

Judges of the United States District Court for the Territory of Hawaii

Prior to 1959, the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii was an Article IV tribunal in the Territory of Hawaii. The following is a partial list of Judges for that court.

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=1|

name={{sortname|Morris M.|Estee}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1833–1903|

term=1900–1903{{Cite book|author=Oscar Tully Shuck |title=History of the bench and bar of California: being biographies of many remarkable men, a store of humorous and pathetic recollections, accounts of important legislation and extraordinary cases, comprehending the judicial history of the state |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t-lYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA827 |year=1901 |publisher=The Commercial printing house |pages=827–828 }}|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||McKinley|List of federal judges appointed by William McKinley}}|

termination=death|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=2|

name={{sortname|Sanford B.|Dole}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1844–1926|

term=1903–1915{{cite web |url= http://archives1.dags.hawaii.gov/gsdl/collect/governme/index/assoc/HASHb5a9/8f7a506f.dir/Dole,%20Sanford%20Ballard.jpg |title= Dole, Sanford Ballard office record |work= state archives digital collections |publisher= state of Hawaii |access-date= September 9, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120306203149/http://archives1.dags.hawaii.gov/gsdl/collect/governme/index/assoc/HASHb5a9/8f7a506f.dir/Dole%2C%20Sanford%20Ballard.jpg |archive-date= March 6, 2012 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer = {{sortname|T.|Roosevelt|List of federal judges appointed by Theodore Roosevelt}}|

termination= retirement |

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=3|

name={{sortname|George Washington|Woodruff}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1864–1934|

term=1909–1910|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer = {{sortname||Taft|List of federal judges appointed by William Howard Taft}}|

termination= resigned|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index= 4 |

name={{sortname|Alexander George Morison|Robertson}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1867–1947|

term=1910–1911{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IjZPcGb2R08C&q=judge+a.+g.+m.+robertson+died&pg=PA84 |title=Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawai_i?, Page 84.|isbn=9780824832117|last1=Van Dyke|first1=Jon M.|date=December 31, 2007|publisher=University of Hawaii Press }} {{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R-sKAAAAIAAJ&q=u.s.+district+Judge+A.+G.+M.+Robertson&pg=RA1-PA201 |title=All about Hawaii: The Recognized Book of Authentic Information About Hawaii by Thos. G. Thrum. 1910|year=1909}}||

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Taft|List of federal judges appointed by William Howard Taft}}|

termination=resigned|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index= 5 |

name={{sortname|Charles Frederic|Clemons}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1871–1925|

term=1911–1916{{cite web |url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/hi/statewide/bios/clemons248bs.txt |title=Statewide County HI Archives Biographies.....Clemons, Charles Frederic October 9, 1871. The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders, published by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Ltd., Territory of Hawaii, 1925 Author: Edited by George F. Nellist}} {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mBYfPPI0XYYC&q=judge+charles+f.+clemons&pg=PA141 |title=Johnny Wilson: First Hawaiian Democrat By Bob Krauss|isbn=9780824815776|last1=Krauss|first1=Bob|date=August 1994|publisher=University of Hawaii Press }}||

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Taft|List of federal judges appointed by William Howard Taft}}|

termination=resigned|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=6|

name={{sortname|Horace Worth|Vaughan}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1867–1922|

term=1916–1922{{cite book |author=Ben R. Guttery |title=Representing Texas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-14gbMQftG0C&pg=PA153 |date=March 2, 2008 |isbn=978-1-4196-7884-4 |page=153|publisher=Ben Guttery }}|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Wilson|List of federal judges appointed by Woodrow Wilson}}|

termination=death|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=7|

name={{sortname|Joseph|Poindexter}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1869–1951|

term=1917–1924|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Wilson|List of federal judges appointed by Woodrow Wilson}}|

termination=retirement|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=8|

name={{sortname|John T.|DeBolt}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1857–1944|

term=1922–1926|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Harding|List of federal judges appointed by Warren G. Harding}}|

termination=term expired|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=9|

name={{sortname|William T.|Rawlins}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1877–1928|

term=1924–1928|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Coolidge|List of federal judges appointed by Calvin Coolidge}}|

termination=deceased|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=10|

name={{sortname|William Barker|Lymer}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1882–1939|

term=1926–1934Judge William Barker Lymer, Honolulu Star Bulletin, Friday, April 14, 1939, Page 1, Col 8. Honolulu Advertiser Friday, April 14, 1939, Page 1|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Coolidge|List of federal judges appointed by Calvin Coolidge}}|

termination=retirement|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index=11|

name={{sortname|Edward K.|Massee}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1871–1960|

term=1929–1935|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Coolidge|List of federal judges appointed by Calvin Coolidge}}|

termination=term expired|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index= 12|

name={{sortname|Seba Cormany|Huber}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1871–1944|

term=1934–1940Judge William Barker Lymer, Honolulu Advertiser Friday, April 14, 1939, Page 1. {{cite web |url=https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/305/2/JL35049.pdf| title=Delbert E. Metzger, Hawai'i's Liberal Judge by H. Brett Melendy, page 53}} {{cite web |url= http://ulukau.org/gsdl2.82/cgi-bin/hni?e=q-00100-00---off-0hni--00-2----0-10-0---0---0direct-10-TX--4-------0-1l--10-en-Zz-1---20-about-Huber+--00-3-1-00-0-0-01-0-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=hni&srp=0&srn=0&cl=search&d=sectionthreepage066 |title=HUBER, SEBA CORMANY, Index to the Honolulu Advertiser & Star Bulletin 1929–1969, 1871–1944 Honorary LLD conferred on judge by Lebanon Valley College, Pa S 6/8/36 p1, Dies at home S 8/16/44 p1}}||

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname|F.|Roosevelt|List of federal judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt}}|

termination=retirement|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index= 13|

name={{sortname|Edward Minor|Watson Jr.}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1874–1938|

term=1935–1938{{cite web |url=https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/305/2/JL35049.pdf |title=Delbert E. Metzger, Hawai'i's Liberal Judge By H. BRETT MELENDY, The Hawaiian Journal of History, vol. 35 (2001), pg. 53 }} {{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31079941/judge-edward-m-watson-1874-1938/ |title=Judge Edward M Watson 1874-1938, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Honolulu, Hawaii 24 Sep 1938, Sat Page 4| newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin | date=September 24, 1938 | page=4 }}||

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname|F.|Roosevelt|List of federal judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt}}|

termination=died|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index= 14|

name={{sortname|Delbert E.|Metzger}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1875–1967|

term=1939–1952|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname|F.|Roosevelt|List of federal judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt}}|

termination=term expired|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index= 15|

name={{sortname|Ingram|Stainback}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1883–1961|

term=1940–1943|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname|F.|Roosevelt|List of federal judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt}}|

termination=resigned|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index= 16|

name={{sortname|Joseph Frank|McLaughlin}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1908–1962|

term=1943–1959|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname|F.|Roosevelt|List of federal judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt}}|

termination=statehood|

}}

{{U.S. judgeship row Former|

index= 17|

name={{sortname|Jon|Wiig}}|

state=HI|

borndied=1906–1987|

term=1952–1959|

chief term=—|

senior term=—|

appointer={{sortname||Truman|List of federal judges appointed by Harry S. Truman}}|

termination=statehood|

}}

Succession of seats

{{start U.S. judge succession

| seat title = Seat 1

}}

{{U.S. judge succession note

| text = Seat established on April 30, 1900 by 56 Stat. 222

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Estee

| term = 1900–1903

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Dole

| term = 1903–1915

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Vaughan

| term = 1916–1922

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = DeBolt

| term = 1922–1926

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Lymer

| term = 1926–1934

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Huber

| term = 1934–1940

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Stainback

| term = 1940–1943

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = McLaughlin

| term = 1943–1959

}}

{{start U.S. judge succession

| seat title = Seat 2

}}

{{U.S. judge succession note

| text = Seat established on March 3, 1909 by 60 Stat. 322

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Woodruff

| term = 1909–1910

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Robertson

| term = 1910–1911

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Clemons

| term = 1911–1916

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Poindexter

| term = 1917–1924

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Rawlins

| term = 1924–1928

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Massee

| term = 1929–1935

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Watson

| term = 1935–1938

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Metzger

| term = 1939–1952

}}

{{U.S. judge succession row

| name = Wiig

| term = 1952–1959

}}

"Recorder of Deeds" for the Territory of Palmyra Island

Since 1962, the court's clerk has filed or recorded the deeds and other land title documents for land located in the federal Territory of Palmyra Island, under {{USC|48|644a}}, Executive Order No. 10967Executive Order No. 10967, Palmyra Island Administration, October 10, 1961, 26 F.R. 9667. and Order No. 2862 of the Secretary of the Interior.Secretary of the Interior Order No. 2862, Palmyra Island Land Recordation, March 19, 1962, F. R. Doc. 62-2736.

U.S. Attorneys

Notes

External links

[http://www.hid.uscourts.gov/ United States District Court for the District of Hawaii]
[https://www.justice.gov/usao/district/hi U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii]

{{DEFAULTSORT:United States District Court for the District of Hawaii}}

Hawaii

Category:Hawaii law

Category:Honolulu

Category:1959 establishments in Hawaii

Category:Courthouses in Hawaii

Category:Courts and tribunals established in 1959