Bar finding favors nominee

Advertiser Staff

The Hawai'i State Bar Association has again found that Richard Bissen is qualified to serve as a Maui Circuit Court judge after reviewing a 1996 appeals court ruling that faulted Bissen for prosecutorial misconduct.

The state Senate Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee asked the bar association to consider the case after discovering that it had not been part of the association's initial review of Bissen's nomination.

Richard Turbin, president of the bar association, said members of the board of directors met Saturday and reaffirmed that Bissen is qualified. Turbin said that Bissen had attempted to disclose the case during the initial review — although it was never thoroughly discussed — and that members voted to not change their rating after considering the case on Saturday.

But senators are likely to question Bissen at a confirmation hearing tomorrow about why he did not disclose the appeals court case on a questionnaire from the Judicial Selection Commission.

"I view it as very problematic for him," said Senate Majority Leader Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nanakuli, Makaha), chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee.