Nakasone emphasizes backlog reduction, seeks confirmation as chief judge of Hawaii intermediate court of appeals

Judge Karen Nakasone, the governor’s nominee for chief judge of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA), told the Senate Committee on Judiciary on April 22 that she would build on pilot reforms that dramatically reduced the court’s backlog and push to shorten the time litigants wait for appellate decisions.

Nakasone, who has served as an associate judge on the ICA and as a circuit court judge, said the court began a set of pilot reforms in February 2024 after the court lost its chief judge and staff attorneys. “From February 2024, when we started our pilot reforms to the current time…it has gradually dropped steadily and as of last month's statistics we were at 48,” Nakasone said, describing a decline from roughly 270 appeals more than two years old to about 48.

Why it matters: the ICA is Hawaii’s high-volume appeals court and long case delays affect litigants’ ability to obtain timely relief. Nakasone told senators the chief judge must keep “laser…