Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 5, 1 May 2013 — Watson confirmed for federal judgeship [ARTICLE]

Watson confirmed for federal judgeship

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Derrick Kahala Watson as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawai'i, making the Kamehameha Schools and Harvard Law graduate the only Native Hawaiian federal judge currently serving. In a joint statement released by Hawai'i's congressional delegation, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said, "I am confident he will continue to serve our country well, and with Native Hawaiians being underrepresented on the federal heneh, his confirmation is a big step in the right direction towards diversifying the court." Watson, previously an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Hawai'i, was nominated in November by President Ohama to fill the vacancy left by U.S. District Judge David Ezra, who heeame a senior federal judge in 2012.

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