Rowena A. Somerville at a glance
- Current role
- Circuit Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Hawaii · State
- Judicial service
- Active
- Term and retention
- Current term ends December 19, 2027
Rowena A. Somerville
Circuit Court Judge · Hawaii Circuit Court, First Circuit
Biography
Professional career
- Circuit Court Judge for the Oʻahu First Circuit, 23rd Division, a position she has held since November 2017, appointed by then–Governor David Ige
- Circuit Court Judge for the Oʻahu First Circuit in Hawaii, appointed in 2017 and serving until 2027, known for her work in criminal and serious case adjudication
- Visible figure in Hawaii’s criminal justice landscape, with her rulings frequently covered in local media
- As a Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs administrative hearings officer, she presided over more than 100 special-education due-process hearings
- Earlier she was a deputy attorney general in the Land and Transportation Division and a Honolulu deputy prosecuting attorney, following clerkships at the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission and First Circuit District Court
Education
- University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law — J.D.
Additional information
- Governor David Ige appointed Rowena A. Somerville to the First Circuit Court on November 1, 2017, subject to Senate confirmation, filling the vacancy from Derrick H.M. Chan’s elevation to the Intermediate Court of Appeals.
- She graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii bar in 1996.
- One of several judges appointed to 10‐year terms by the Governor from Judicial Selection Commission nominees, subject to Senate consent
- Somerville had spent more than 20 years in Hawaii public service.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Extended Coverage Notice
Statewide
Hawaii requires news media to notify a court coordinator before electronic or photographic coverage of a judicial proceeding, including audio recording, film, videotape, or still photography.
The news media must notify a court coordinator of their intent to provide any electronic or photographic coverage of a judicial proceeding.Cameras and Audio Equipment ↗
Camera Microphone Placement
Statewide
Hawaii leaves courtroom camera and microphone placement to the judge and cautions that judges may differ on placement rules.
The judge will decide where cameras and microphones can be placed in the courtroom. Judges differ on this - so please ask.Cameras and Audio Equipment ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
Hawaii State Judiciary official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Hawaii State Judiciary official judicial roster ↗Cameras and Audio Equipment
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Cameras and Audio Equipment ↗Remote Court Hearings via Zoom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Remote Court Hearings via Zoom ↗Hawaii State Judiciary judicial profile or roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Hawaii State Judiciary judicial profile or roster ↗www.hawaiisenatemajority.com
Biography source · HTML · Source checked October 5, 2026
View www.hawaiisenatemajority.com ↗www.courts.state.hi.us
Biography source · HTML · Source checked October 5, 2026
View www.courts.state.hi.us ↗www.staradvertiser.com
Biography source · HTML · Source checked October 5, 2026
View www.staradvertiser.com ↗www.hawaiisenatemajority.com
Biography source · HTML · Source checked October 5, 2026
View www.hawaiisenatemajority.com ↗data.capitol.hawaii.gov
Biography source · PDF · Source checked October 5, 2026
View data.capitol.hawaii.gov ↗