U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii
U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii is a United States district court, a federal trial court where most federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. It lies within the Ninth Circuit, which reviews its decisions on appeal. This page lists every judge to serve on the court, current and former, with who appointed them and whom they succeeded.
| Judge | Appointed by | Since |
|---|---|---|
| David Alan Ezra | Reagan (R) | 1988 |
| Helen W. Gillmor | Clinton (D) | 1994 |
| Susan Oki Mollway | Clinton (D) | 1998 |
| J[ohn] Michael Seabright | Bush (R) | 2005 |
| Leslie Emi Kobayashi | Obama (D) | 2010 |
| Derrick Kahala Watson | Obama (D) | 2013 |
| Jill Aiko Otake | Trump (R) | 2018 |
| Shanlyn Alohakeao Souza Park | Biden (D) | 2024 |
| Micah William Janso Smith | Biden (D) | 2024 |
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Cooke Kay | Reagan (R) | 1986–2024 |
| Harold Michael Fong | Reagan (R) | 1982–1995 |
| Dick Yin Wong | Ford (R) | 1975–1978 |
| Samuel Pailthorpe King | Nixon (R) | 1972–2010 |
| Martin Pence | Kennedy (D) | 1961–2000 |
| Cyrus Nils Tavares | Eisenhower (R) | 1961–1976 |
| Walter Meheula Heen | Carter (D) | ?–1981 |
How a judge gets here. Each judge is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat, for life, until they take senior status, or until they leave the bench. Open any judge to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1961.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Verify against the primary source before relying.