Lingle nominates Katherine Grace Leonard as Hawaii Chief Justice
July 23, 2010
Hawaii: Yesterday, Governor Linda Lingle nominated Katherine Grace Leonard to serve as the new Chief Justice on the Hawaii Supreme Court. Leonard currently serves as a justice on the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, a position she has held since January 2008.[1][2]
Leonard is nominated to the position of retiring Ronald Moon, who will step down in September. The Hawaii Senate has thirty days to vote on the nomination. When confirmed to the Court of Appeals, Leonard's confirmation won a 23-0 vote in the Senate.[3]
Of the nominee, Lingle said, "Kate Leonard is a woman of character of whom her family, colleagues, and friends are justifiably proud. She will be a chief justice of whom I and all of us Hawaii will become proud."[3] If confirmed, Leonard would be Hawaii's first female chief justice.[1]
UPDATE
The Governor's nomination of Katherine Grace Leonard was rejected by the Hawaii State Senate with the final vote being 14 to 8 against. In spite of Leonard's work on the Intermediate Court of Appeals, opponents focused on the fact that the Hawaii State Bar Association placed an "unqualified" tag on her.[4]
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KHON2, "Gov. Lingle nominates Katherine Leonard as Supreme Court Chief Justice," July 22, 2010
- ↑ Hawai'i State Judiciary, Associate Judge Katherine G. Leonard
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 KITV.com, "Lingle Nominates State's First Woman Chief Justice," July 22, 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12940970 Hawaii News Now "Full Senate says no to Judge Leonard," August 6, 2010]
