Flags to Fly at Half-Staff in Honor of US District Judge Samuel P. King

Posted by Wendy Osher

Governor Neil Abercrombie ordered the Hawaii state flag to fly at half-staff at all State offices on Wednesday, December 29, in honor of United States District Judge Samuel P. King, who died on December 7, 2010 at the age of 94.

Over six decades, Judge King held various justice responsibilities in Hawaii including: District Magistrate for the City and County of Honolulu; Judge at the First Circuit Court of Hawaii; and U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii.

Funeral services for King are being held Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at St. Andrews’s Cathedral. A gathering begins at 1:30pm, followed by the service at 2:30pm.

King graduated from Yale Law School, and worked in the Honolulu Prosecutor’s office in 1941. After Pearl Harbor, King joined the Navy as an interpreter. He later joined the Navy Reserve, retiring as a Captain.

File photo by Wendy Osher.

King made an unsuccessful run for governor in 1970 losing to Governor Burns. He also served for a time as chair of the Republican Party.

He was sworn in as a Federal Judge in 1972. In addition to his service in the judiciary, he is credited with helping to expose corruption within the Bishop Estate by co-authoring the publication of the article entitled “Broken Trust.”

King is survived by wife Anne King, son Samuel P. King, Jr., daughters Louise K. Lanzilotti and Charlotte K. Stretch, sister Dr. Pauline N. King and six grand children.