STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1899
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: GOV. MSG. NO. 608
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2023
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 608, submitting for study and consideration the appointment of:
Circuit Court of
the Second Circuit, State of Hawai'i
G.M. No. 608 |
MICHELLE L. DREWYER, for a term to expire in 10 years, |
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Judge Michelle L. Drewyer for service on the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit, State of Hawaii.
Your Committee received testimony in support of the appointment of Judge Michelle L. Drewyer from the Governor and nineteen individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the appointment of Judge Michelle L. Drewyer from one individual. Your Committee received comments on the appointment of Judge Michelle L. Drewyer from the Board of Directors of the Hawaii State Bar Association.
The Hawaii State Bar
Association Board of Directors (HSBA Board) uses a rating system that considers
several criteria to assist the HSBA Board in making a recommendation to your
Committee on whether the appointee is "qualified" or "not
qualified". Specifically, the
criteria the HSBA Board employs is the same criteria found in the American Bar Association's
Guidelines for Reviewing Qualifications of Candidates for State Judicial
Office. Those guidelines include the
following criteria, which are not exclusive: integrity, diligence, legal knowledge and
ability, professional experience, temperament, financial responsibility, public
service, health, and ability to perform the responsibilities and duties
required of the position for which the applicant has been appointed. Upon review of the established criteria, the
HSBA Board found the appointee to be qualified for the position of Circuit
Court Judge of the Second Circuit.
Judge Drewyer received
a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Western Michigan
University. She then received her Juris
Doctor from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Judge Drewyer has been licensed to practice law in the State of Hawaii
since 1992.
Judge Drewyer has
served as a per diem judge in the Second Circuit since 2005 in Family Court and
2017 in District Court, where she has handled a number of issues, including
traffic cases; misdemeanor crimes; civil cases; and cases involving child
custody, divorce, and child welfare. Her
per diem work included presiding over cases in Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Judge Drewyer also has her own private
practice handling civil and criminal litigation, arbitrations, and mediations.
For over a decade, Judge Drewyer was
a partner at Ranken & Drewyer, L.L.C., where she concentrated in criminal
and civil litigation, and law firm management, including advertising and
personnel supervision. She also was an
arbitrator for the Court Annexed Arbitration Program. Prior to becoming a partner, Judge Drewyer
was an associate with Ranken, Drewyer, & Ranken.
Before going into private practice,
Judge Drewyer worked as a Deputy Public Defender for the State of Hawaii, where
she gained circuit court experience involving arraignment and plea, bail
hearings, pre-trial motions, jury trials, and sentencing and parole
hearings. Judge Drewyer began her legal
career in public service as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the County of
Maui, where she worked in the violent crime section and for a year,
concentrated on child sex assault cases.
Judge Drewyer has been
an active participant in the community and has demonstrated her commitment to
serving the public. She is the President
of the Na Hinano O Opana, a nonprofit corporation formed to protect agriculture
lands, and is also a member of the Medical Reserve Corps. Previously, she served as the President of
the nonprofit organization, "Friends of the Public Defender";
participated in Volunteer Legal Services; participated in mock trials to
introduce school age children to all aspects of the criminal justice system and
the Outward Bound Program to introduce troubled teens to possible career
opportunities within the legal field; and volunteered with the Maui District
Health Office to assist the community in getting vaccinated and other projects
relating to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Testimony submitted in
support of Judge Drewyer's appointment commends her diligence, legal knowledge
and experience, and commitment to fairness and justice. Testimony further indicates that during her
time as a judge for the District Court of the Second Circuit, she has been
even-handed, composed, firm, and calm to all parties in her courtroom. Numerous testifiers also praise her judicial
temperament, as well as her strong work ethic.
Your Committee finds that, based on the testimony submitted on her behalf, responses to questions asked by the members of your Committee, and your Committee's review of information about her qualifications, Judge Michelle L. Drewyer has the experience, compassion, and other competencies to be a Circuit Court Judge of the Second Circuit, and she has the legal expertise and integrity to fully and faithfully discharge the duties associated with that judicial office.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the appointee, has found the appointee to be qualified for the position to which appointed and recommends that the Senate consent to the appointment.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,
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____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair |
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