State Supreme Court sets date to hear high-stakes Honolulu City Council race
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state Supreme Court has scheduled Aug. 25 oral arguments in the legal battle over Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters’ seat, appointing neighbor island judges to hear the case.
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The appointments come after eight appeals court judges, including Chief Justice Vladimir Devens, recused themselves from the case due to potential conflicts of interest.
Conflicts cited in recusals
Attorney Lance Collins said the recusals likely stem from close personal or professional ties to parties in the case.
“Maybe they were a former law partner or worked together, those are the kinds of things where if you really have a close personal relationship with the party in the case, then that’s usually strong grounds to ask, should I recuse myself?” Collins said.
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Neighbor island judges to decide
Judge Peter Cahill of Maui, along with the judges from Kauai and the Big Island, will sit on the Supreme Court, alongside Justices Sabrina McKenna and Lisa Ginoza.
Waters’ main challenger Trevor Ozawa asked for an expedited calendar to ensure a decision can be made before general election ballots are printed in mid-September.
Waters said he is also still considering a formal challenge to the election because of his disqualification. If he is not reinstated, Trevor Ozawa and Tara Malia Gregory will appear on the general election ballot.
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