Case Title: In re Investigation of Fong

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: hawaii

Court: Hawaii Supreme Court

Date: 2003-12-22T00:00:00Z

Document:
No. 25098

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAI‘T

 

In the Matter of the Investigation of 3

DAVID L. FONG,
Judge, District Court of the First Circuit, R
State of Hawai't

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING

 

Moon, CJ., for the court’)

 

We have considered (1) the Commission on Judicial
Conduct's Report and Recommendation for the imposition of public
censure upon former First Circuit District Judge David L. Fong,
(2) the record, including Respondent Fong’s Stipulation of Facts,
and (3) Respondent's lack of opposition to the Report and
Recommendation, as exhibited by the fact Respondent declined to
Eile exceptions or a brief or otherwise oppose the Report and
Recommendation, It appears from the record that Respondent Fong
did not fully disclose his wife's many and various financial,
fiduciary, and ownership interests, or acquisitions and transfers
of such interests, on financial disclosure statements filed
between 1990 and 2003, It further appears that Rule 15 of the
Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii (RSCH)
required disclosure of the interests. It also appears that

Respondent Fong was at least aware of alleged criminal activity

 

Duffy, Ja.

Considered by: Moon, CJ; Levinson, Nakayama, Acoba and
at a property owned by his wife. Respondent Fong’s conduct,
summarized above, cast his judicial office into disrepute and
were violations of RSCH 8.5(a) (4) and RSCH 8.5(a) (5) and Canon 2
of the Hawai'i Revised Code of Judicial Conduct. Finally, in
mitigation, it appears that Respondent Fong was highly respected
and performed his duties ably and conscientiously during the time
he served as a per diem and full-time judge of the District Court
of the First Circuit. Because the Conmission’s recommendation
for public censure is supported by the record, particularly the
stipulation of facts entered into by Respondent and special
counsel,

IT TS HEREBY ORDERED that Respondent David L. Fong is
hereby publically censured.

DATED: Honolulu, Hawai'i, December 22, 2003.

 

FOR THE COURT:

Le Justics