Alm appointed Circuit Court judge
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
Gov. Ben Cayetano has appointed U.S. Attorney Steven Alm to state Circuit Court, First Circuit.
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Alm, 47, fills the vacancy left by former Circuit Court Judge Kevin Chang, who was appointed a federal magistrate. Alm's appointment is subject to confirmation by the state Senate.
Alm said the timing of the appointment couldn't have been better.
Alm, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, in 1994, called the timing of the appointment "wonderful." With a new Republican administration under President George W. Bush, U.S. attorneys across the country have been asked to resign.
"I had some offers for private practice, but I had hoped to stay involved in public service and with the community," Alm said. "I'm just delighted to begin this opportunity."
Cayetano said Alm's "knowledge, experience and commitment to public service make him an excellent addition to the court."
"Mr. Alm has built a stellar reputation for being a firm, but fair prosecutor," he said. "What impressed me most is that his colleagues in the Hawaii Bar Association — both prosecutors and public defenders — hold him in very high regard. Their recommendations speak volumes about his integrity and his ability to be a fair-minded jurist."
Alm said he hopes to be remembered for helping federal, state and county law enforcement agencies work more closely together in anti-drug and other programs and for "standing for the proposition that nobody is above the law."
Under his administration the U.S. attorney's office has prosecuted high-profile figures such as former state Sen. Milton Holt and former state House Speaker Danny Kihano, as well as law enforcement officials.
Before being appointed as U.S. attorney, Alm served nine years as a Honolulu deputy prosecutor. He also taught at the University of Hawai'i Richardson School of Law.
