STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1716

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  GOV. MSG. NO. 247
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred
Governor's Message No. 247, submitting for study and
consideration the nomination of:

     GARY W.B. CHANG, gubernatorial nominee to the Circuit Court
of the First Circuit, for a term of Ten Years, 

begs leave to report as follows:

     Upon review of the background information submitted by the
nominee, your Committee finds that Gary W.B. Chang holds a
Bachelor's degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a
J.D. degree from the University of Gonzaga Law School.  Mr. Chang
has 20 years of law experience and has served as a State Deputy
Attorney General.  He is a member of the Hawaii State Bar
Association, the American Bar Association and Na Hoaloha O
McKinley. 

     Testimony in support of the nominee was submitted to your
Committee by:  the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of
Honolulu; the Hawaii State Bar Association; HGEA AFSCME Local
152; 34 members of the legal community; and four private
citizens.  All testimony unanimously supported the nomination of
Mr. Chang by indicating that he is fair-minded, humble,
compassionate, diligent, hard working, and possesses the highest
level of integrity.  Further, testifiers acknowledged that Mr.
Chang possesses the legal knowledge and ability, professional
experience, judicial temperament, and impartiality needed to be
qualified as a judge in the First Circuit Court.  


 
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     Your Committee members diligently questioned the nominee
regarding his legal experience, his views on tort reform, his
belief in community service, and his beliefs on the balance of
powers between the judicial branch and the legislative branch of
government.  Your Committee believes that the nominee adequately
responded to the Committee's inquiries.


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your
Committee, after full consideration of the background, character,
experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the
nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and
recommends that the Senate consent to the nomination.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary,



                                   ______________________________
                                   AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair

 
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