Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin defended his opposition to the Trump administration’s earlier versions of travel bans and said the state will examine the so-called “Travel Ban 3.0.”

The U.S. Supreme Court ordered parties in the travel ban lawsuits, including Hawaii, to submit additional arguments analyzing the effect of the new ban issued Monday. The latest ban places restrictions on travel from eight countries — Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Venezuela — effective Oct. 18.

Chin said the state will reserve most of its arguments, analysis and comments on the new ban for the supplemental briefing due to the Supreme Court by Oct. 5.

HAWAII ISLAND

2 confirmed as circuit judges

The state Senate confirmed Hawaii island Family Court Judge Henry T. Nakamoto and Hawaii island attorney Robert D.S. Kim to serve as circuit judges in Hilo and Kona, respectively.

Nakamoto, 53, and Kim, 63, were each appointed to 10-year terms.

Nakamoto began serving in 2014 as a Family Court judge. He previously practiced law at Nakamoto, Okamoto & Yamamoto, where he was a partner, and at Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, where he was an associate.

The Hawaii island native earned his law degree from the Hastings College of Law, and replaces Judge Glenn Hara, who retired at the end of last year.

“Comments from attorneys practicing in his court and other observers reveal that he is well prepared, has excellent judicial temperament, has the highest integrity, is knowledgeable and skillful in handling all cases brought before him, and has dispensed rulings that were reasonable and well thought-out,” Nadine Ando, president of the Hawaii State Bar Association, wrote in support of Nakamoto’s nomination.

Kim, meanwhile, had been working in private practice as a litigator in the areas of criminal defense, family law, civil litigation and personal injury litigation. The William S. Richardson School of Law graduate replaces Judge Ronald Ibarra, who retired in June.

“Mr. Kim’s many years of experience as a trial attorney has prepared him well for the variety of cases a Circuit Court judge … will face. He unquestionably possesses a breadth of legal knowledge in multiple areas of the law with a keen understanding of procedure and rules of evidence,” Ando wrote in support of Kim’s nomination. “Judges and many attorneys, including those who have opposed him in litigation, have expressed high regard for Mr. Kim and confidence in his ability to transition into serving as an effective (judge).”

Both nominations by Gov. David Ige passed in the Senate on Tuesday with 20 votes, with five senators absent. Lawmakers convened a brief special session to take up the judicial appointments.