A Kona Circuit Court Judge was awarded the prestigious Jurist of the Year Award on Friday.
Third Circuit Chief Judge Robert D.S. Kim was presented with the 2023 Jurist of the Year Award by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald at the Judiciary’s Statewide Employee Awards Ceremony.
“Judge Kim was appointed to the bench in 2017 and began serving as Chief Judge in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic,” said Recktenwald. “Chief Judge Kim did an exceptional job addressing the challenges brought on by the pandemic, especially with the serious staffing shortage the Third Circuit faced and the temporary closure of the South Kohala Courthouse, working through the myriad of challenges to reopen it and be fully operational. He became the Third Circuit’s ‘MacGuyver,’ innovating ways to keep the work of the courts going, and ensuring that services to the Big Island community were not compromised. He has maintained excellent communications with the Big Island bar, and has convened meetings on pressing challenges such as mentally ill individuals in the criminal justice system. He consistently demonstrates an abundance of aloha, and immediately offered resources and suggestions to support our Maui ‘ohana following the wildfires.
“I’m lucky to be the Administrative Judge for the Third Circuit because all of the judges and staff go beyond the call to make me look good,” said Kim. “I owe it all to them, and this honor is for them.”
Recktenwald said Kim has been forthright in publicly addressing challenges in the criminal justice system, thereby heightening the trust and confidence the public has in our government.
Kim was sworn in as Judge of the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit on Nov. 21, 2017, succeeding retiring Judge Ronald Ibarra. After his appointment to the bench by Gov. David Ige. Judge Kim quickly established himself as a highly competent, fair and well-respected trial judge. His extensive prior experience as a civil, criminal, and family law litigator in both the private and public sectors, provided him with superior skills in understanding the parties’ positions and reaching well-reasoned decisions.
On July 1, 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Judge Kim was appointed as the Chief Judge of the Third Circuit after the retirement of Judge Melvin Fujino.
“He has been a highly effective problem solver, who sees the bigger picture and quickly develops a plan to overcome obstacles, build consensus, and move forward. Chief Judge Kim did an exceptional job addressing the myriad of challenges that arose during the pandemic,” said Recktenwald in a proclamation. “Under his leadership, the Third Circuit quickly transitioned to using remote hearings to minimize the number of people coming to courthouses, and has since conducted nearly 188,000 such hearings.”
“We were way out in front and were eager to embrace remote hearings to protect the public and attorneys from COVID exposure,” said Kim. “Up until then, we never did remote hearings. The ship had to turn on a dime.”
The Jurist of the Year is selected annually by the Chief Justice from nominations submitted by Hawaii attorneys and Judiciary personnel. The award recognizes a full-time trial judge who exhibits exceptional judicial competence, evidenced by decisional quality, significant extra-judicial contributions to the administration of justice, and active participation in public service to the community at large.
“On behalf of the Hawaii State Judiciary, it is my privilege to bestow upon the Honorable Robert D.S. Kim the recognition of 2023 Jurist of the Year,” said Recktenwald.