STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1930
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: JUD. COM. NO. 28
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred Judiciary Communication No. 28, submitting for study and consideration the appointment of:
District Family
Court of the Second Circuit
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J.C. No. 28 |
SONYA H. TOMA, for a term to expire in 6 years, |
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Sonya H. Toma for service on the District Family Court of the Second Circuit.
Your Committee received testimony in support of the appointment of Sonya H. Toma from fourteen individuals.
Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the appointment of Sonya H. Toma from the Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform and two individuals.
Your Committee received comments on the appointment of Sonya H. Toma from the Hawaii State Bar Association.
Ms. Toma
attended the University of Oregon where she received a Bachelor of Science
degree in Political Science. She
received her Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the
University of Hawaiʻi
at Mānoa, where she was
the recipient of the Maui County Bar Association Arthur T. Ueoka
Scholarship. Ms. Toma has been
licensed to practice law in Hawaiʻi since 2007 and is also licensed to
practice in Indiana and Nevada.
Since 2023, Ms. Toma has worked as a
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the Maui County Office of the Prosecuting
Attorney, where she prosecutes misdemeanor and felony criminal cases in family
and circuit court and traffic, petty misdemeanor, and misdemeanor criminal
cases in district court. Ms. Toma
is also currently a Kids First Parent Co-Facilitator for Kids First Hawaii,
where she facilitates parent group instruction in the Maui mandatory Kids First
Program for separating and divorcing parents and educates parents about the
impact of divorce and separation on children to promote effective communication
and peaceful co‑parenting. Before
becoming a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Ms. Toma worked at the Department
of the Corporation Counsel for the County of Maui, where she was a First Deputy
Corporation Counsel. As First Deputy
Corporation Counsel, Ms. Toma's duties included supervising the Counseling
and Drafting Division representing county departments, the County Council, the
Mayor's office, and various boards and commissions.
Ms. Toma's legal career also includes practice
in family law. From 2021 to 2023,
Ms. Toma worked as a Deputy Attorney General for the Department of the
Attorney General, where she represented various state agencies in family court,
including Child Welfare Services, Department of Health, Office of the Public
Guardian, Department of Education, and Judiciary. As a Deputy Attorney General, Ms. Toma
met with clients, appeared at meetings, hearings, motions, settlement
negotiations, and bench trials, and drafted motions, memoranda, and other
pleadings. Before her work at the
Department of the Attorney General, Ms. Toma was a Staff Attorney at the
Family Law Self-Help Center at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Ms. Toma's work as a
Staff Attorney included conducting interviews evaluations, and providing legal
information assistance for domestic violence protection orders, divorce,
custody, paternity, adoption, termination of parental rights, name change,
guardianship, and other miscellaneous family law matters.
In addition to her professional work,
Ms. Toma has contributed significantly to her community. Ms. Toma currently serves as President
for Maui Okinawa Kenjin Kai, and has previously served as the organization's
Corresponding Secretary and Vice President.
Additionally, Ms. Toma has volunteered as an attorney for Volunteer
Legal Services Hawaii and the Second Circuit Court's Self-Help Center. As a volunteer attorney for Volunteer Legal
Services Hawaii, Ms. Toma gave legal advice to pre-screened clients in the
areas of family law and bankruptcy and accepted two pro bono cases from the
clinic. At the Second Circuit Court's
Self-Help Center, Ms. Toma assisted the public with legal information and
form preparation and volunteered at the Family Assistance Center Table for
people impacted by the 2023 Maui Wildfires.
Testimony submitted in support of
Ms. Toma's appointment commends her thoughtfulness, compassion, honesty,
integrity, humility, and calm and composed temperament, even in adverse
circumstances.
Your Committee finds that, based on
the testimony submitted on her behalf, responses to questions asked by the
members of your Committee, and your Committee's review of information about her
and her qualifications, Sonya H. Toma has the knowledge, dedication, and other
competencies to be a District Family Court Judge of the Second Circuit, and
possesses the legal expertise and integrity to fully and faithfully discharge
the duties associated with that judicial office.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the appointee, has found the appointee to be qualified for the position to which appointed and recommends that the Senate consent to the appointment.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,
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____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair |
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