- Simeon R. Acoba, Jr.
Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. (born
March 11 ,1944 ), has been anAssociate Justice on theHawaii State Supreme Court since 2000. He is the third Filipino-American in theUnited States to hold a seat on a state Supreme Court. Acoba is currently serving his first ten-year term, which expires in 2010. Acoba is a member of theHawaii Democratic Party .Acoba graduated from
Farrington High School in 1962. He later attended theUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa , where he was instrumental in bringingMartin Luther King, Jr. to speak on campus. After earning hisbachelor's degree at the University of Hawaii, Acoba attendedlaw school at the Northwestern University School of Law, earning aJuris Doctor degree there.In 1969, Acoba returned to Honolulu to become a law clerk for Hawaii State Supreme Court Chief Justice
William S. Richardson . In 1970, he left this position to become a special assistant to University of Hawaii PresidentHarlan Cleveland .From 1971 to 1973, Acoba was deputy Attorney General of Hawaii. Upon leaving the state administration, Acoba ran a private practice until 1983. For a brief period, he was also majority staff attorney for the
Hawaii State House of Representatives .In 1979, Acoba became a district court judge. Later, Governor
George Ariyoshi appointed Acoba to theHawaii State Judiciary as a circuit court judge. Governor John Waihee elevated Acoba in 1994 to the Hawaii State Intermediate Court of Appeals, the second highest court. Later, GovernorBenjamin J. Cayetano appointed Acoba to the Hawaii State Supreme Court. Acoba was sworn in onMay 19 ,2000 .His term expires on
May 18 ,2010 .
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