#Hawaii Supreme Court
Gov. Green nominates Associate Justice Vladimir Devens as Chief Justice of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court
Gov. Josh Green announced the nomination of Vladimir Devens to serve as Chief Justice of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. Devens, who has served as an associate justice since 2024, brings more than three decades of legal experience to the role, including extensive work in civil litigation and public service.
Governor receives nominees for Chief Justice and Maui court vacancy
Gov. Josh Green has received lists of nominees from the Judicial Selection Commission to fill the Chief Justice position on the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court and a vacancy on Maui’s 2nd Circuit Court.
Hawaiʻi Supreme Court leadership transition comes as Chief Justice nears mandatory retirement age
Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Associate Justice Sabrina S. McKenna will become Acting Chief Justice of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court on Oct. 1, 2025, following the retirement of Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald at the end of September. Recktenwald is stepping down due to the state’s mandatory retirement age of 70 for justices and judges.
Gov. Green proclaims Sept. 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day in Hawaiʻi
Gov. Josh Green has proclaimed Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, as Constitution and Citizenship Day in Hawaiʻi, per a joint announcement from the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary and the Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education (PACE).
Hawaiʻi State Judiciary warns public of scam calls spoofing Supreme Court Clerk’s Office
The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary is warning the public about a new scam in which callers pretend to be from the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Clerk’s Office.
Hawai’i Supreme Court ruling has community groups worried about banks coming after old mortgage debts
Lenders now have a longer period of time to try and recoup old mortgages, and the groups are especially worried about homeowners who got loans during the housing boom and foreclosure crisis of the 2000s.
Homeless community is back 4 years after clearing of Amala Place. What will Maui County do this time?
County is already removing some trash but says it is all consensual, and nobody is being forcibly removed.
Machete killer acquitted on appeal, committed to state hospital
More than seven years after a fatal machete attack at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, Kumulipo Sylva has been acquitted of manslaughter. The acquittal by 2nd Circuit Judge Kirstin Hamman follows a Hawaiʻi Supreme Court decision in December 2023 that overturned his original manslaughter conviction. Earlier this month, Hamman ordered Sylva transferred from the Hālawa Correctional […]
Bill to require nonresident user fees at state parks and trails clears key Senate panel
The Senate Ways and Means Committee unanimously recommended passage Tuesday of a bill to set user fees only for nonresidents visiting state parks and trails.
Hawaiʻi Supreme Court issues speedy opinion on Maui Wildfires Case questions
The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court issued a speedy opinion in the Maui Wildfires Case, allowing the settlement to continue its course. Insurance companies had sought to intervene in an attempt to recoup payouts made in the wake of the 2023 Maui wildfires.
Office of the Maui County Clerk files opposition in election challenge for South Maui Council race
The lawsuit claims the Clerk’s Office failed to follow the law related to the review of voter signatures on return identification envelopes, thereby improperly invalidating signatures. The Clerk’s Office asserts that all laws and administrative rules were followed.
South Maui Council race contested at state Supreme Court
Former Maui County Council Chair Kelly T. King and 30 Maui County voters have filed an election contest with the Hawai’i Supreme Court seeking to void the results of the South Maui County Council race and to order the holding of a new election.
Hawaiʻi AG applauds state supreme court decision upholding prohibition of short-term vacation rentals on agricultural lands
Attorney General Anne Lopez is applauding the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court’s unanimous decision of Rosehill v. State of Hawaiʻi, Land Use Commission, where the court held that farm dwellings in the agricultural district cannot be used as short-term vacation rentals under Hawaiʻi law.
Hawaiʻi Supreme Court called upon as historic $4B Maui wildfire settlement faces hurdle from insurers
Second Circuit Court Judge Peter Cahill granted a motion on Friday to allow the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court to determine whether or not insurers can interfere with the historic $4.037 billion global settlement for plaintiffs in the Maui Wildfires Cases. The findings by the higher court could either provide more clarity on the role of insurers seeking to recoup money from payouts; or, if it does not reach a resolution in nine months, the settlement could be terminated.
Hawaiʻi’s High Court issues another historic ruling in Maui’s Nā Wai ‘Ehā case
The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court on Thursday issued a landmark decision in the long-running water case over Nā Wai ‘Ehā, “The Four Waters” of Waihe‘e, Waiehu, Wailuku, and Waikapū in central Maui. In a 134-page unanimous opinion authored by Justice Sabrina McKenna, the court ruled in favor of Maui community groups Hui o Nā Wai ‘Ehā and Maui Tomorrow Foundation, who were represented by Earthjustice, and joined by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA).
Council supports closures of Holomua Road for public safety in Pāʻia
Maui County members voted 9-0 on Tuesday to approve a bill on first reading to close the mauka portion Holomua Road above the entrance to old Maui High School to address concerns about brush fires and other public safety issues.
300 students observe oral arguments as part of Courts in the Community outreach program
The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court convened at Kailua High School on Friday, giving more than 300 students the opportunity to observe oral argument in an actual case.
Hawaiʻi Supreme Court says the state “acted in bad faith” when it used the Lahaina fires as a reason to increase East Maui water flows
The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled that the Board of Land and Natural Resources, through the State Attorney General’s office, acted in bad faith when it alleged there was not enough permitted water to fight the Aug. 8 wildfires because of an earlier ruling that capped the amount of water diverted from East Maui streams.
Hawaiʻi Department of Health opens Behavioral Health Crisis Center in Iwilei
At full capacity, the Behavioral Health Crisis Center can accommodate 16 individuals in initial crisis, with an additional nine stabilization beds. The facility will cost approximately $6.7 million per year to operate.
Lisa Ginoza and Vladimir Devens sworn in as Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Associate Justices
Lisa M. Ginoza and Vladimir P. Devens were sworn in as Associate Justices of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald at Aliʻiōlani Hale on Friday.
