STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1867

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 681

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 681, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

Circuit Court of the Fifth Circuit

G.M. No. 681

RANDAL VALENCIANO, for a term of ten years,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee finds that the nominee graduated from Waimea High School in Kauai and went to college and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Oregon majoring in Political Science.  He then attended the University of Washington, School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor degree.  The nominee worked in the Office of the Public Defender from 1983-1984.  In 1983, the nominee then went to worked at the Kauai Prosecuting Attorney's Office until 1987.  Since 1887 to present, the nominee engaged in the private practice of law becoming the owner of his own office in 1996.  The nominee's practice consisted mostly of criminal and Family Court matters.

     Your Committee received information from the Office of Disciplinary Counsel of four complaints on the nominee that were all investigated and dismissed.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nominee from the Kauai's Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Kauai Filipino Community Council, Diogo Appraisal Services, Inc., Democratic Party of Kauai, Fujiuchi Investigations, Inc., Kodani & Associates, Inc., Noguchi & Associates, Inc., Central Pacific Bank, Nishimura & Associates, Inc., Nina's Tax Services, Hawaii Government Employees' Association, Kauai Island Finance, Inc., Na Pali Riders, Inc., and twenty individuals.  There was no testimony in opposition to the nominee.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate consent to the nomination.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair