STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1668

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 623, 624

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 623 and 624, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

Defender Council

G.M. No. 623	CRAIG DE COSTA, for a term to expire 06-30-2019; and
G.M. No. 624	STANTON OSHIRO, for a term to expire 06-30-2019,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Craig De Costa and Stanton Oshiro to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Defender Council.

CRAIG DE COSTA

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for appointment of Craig De Costa from the Office of the Public Defender and three individuals.

     Mr. De Costa currently serves as Partner at De Costa Hempey Meyers LLC, where he focuses his practice of law in the areas of criminal defense, landlord-tenant disputes, debt collection, administrative hearings, and other civil litigation matters.  He previously served as the elected Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Kauai.

     According to testimony submitted in support of Mr. De Costa's nomination for appointment, his background and career experience have given him an extensive understanding of the criminal justice system and the Public Defender's essential role in that system.  If appointed to the Defender Council, Mr. De Costa will assist the Office of the Public Defender in fulfilling its mission of zealous and effective representation of indigent persons charged with criminal offenses and will be a valuable asset in representing the County of Kauai on the Defender Council.

STANTON OSHIRO

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for appointment of Stanton Oshiro from the Office of the Public Defender.

     Mr. Oshiro is the sole practitioner of his own private law practice that focuses exclusively on criminal defense.  He currently serves as a defense bar representative on the Big Island Multi Agency Committee, criminal defense private bar representative on the Big Island Bench Bar Committee, and criminal defense bar representative for the Island of Hawaii on the Statewide Bench-Bar Committee.

     According to testimony submitted in support of Mr. Oshiro's nomination for appointment, his decades-long experience in criminal defense work has given him an extensive understanding of the criminal justice system and the Public Defender's essential role in that system.  If appointed to the Defender Council, Mr. Oshiro will assist the Office of the Public Defender in fulfilling its mission of zealous and effective representation of indigent persons charged with criminal offenses and will be a valuable asset in representing the County of Hawaii on the Defender Council.

     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 nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

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

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair