New Appeals Court Nominee Advances To Final Senate Vote

Sonja McCullen easily cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.

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A panel of state senators gave preliminary approval for Sonja McCullen, a Honolulu deputy prosecuting attorney, to fill a vacancy on the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals.

Deputy Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Sonja McCullen will move to a floor vote for her nomination to the Intermediate Court of Appeals. Screenshot

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to put forward McCullen’s nomination to the full 25-member Senate, which will take a vote on McCullen’s appointment Friday.

At a hearing Tuesday, no one came forward to oppose McCullen’s nomination. The committee heard from McCullen’s supporters, among them Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm.

The judiciary committee declined to support the last ICA nominee, Dan Gluck, during hearings in July. The Senate ultimately voted down Gluck’s nomination even after he tried to withdraw his name from consideration.

Gov. David Ige nominated McCullen after Gluck failed to win Senate approval.

If McCullen is appointed Friday, she will round out the six-member ICA.

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