Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced today he has nominated Deputy Public Defender Karen Tooko Nakasone to be an Oahu Circuit Court judge.

Nakasone would fill a vacancy created last year with the appointment of Sabrina McKenna to the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Nakasone’s nomination is subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

Nakasone, 41, has been a deputy public defender in Honolulu since 1996.  Before that, she served as a law clerk to the Hawaii Appeals Court Judge Simeon Acoba Jr. Nakasone earned her law degree from Boston University and is a graduate of Hawaii Baptist Academy.