Bissen

KAHULUI – Second Circuit Court Judge Richard T. Bissen Jr. will be the featured speaker at the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce (MNHCoC) Annual Membership Dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, at the University of Hawai?i Maui College, Room 105, in the Laulima Building.

He will speak about Hawaiian cultural issues in the courts and preside over the swearing-in ceremony for the incoming officers and new board members.

“We are humbled and honored that Judge Bissen will join us for our annual dinner,” said MNHCoC President Doreen “Pua” Canto. “His ability to successfully combine his career with community service makes him a role model for our members.”

Bissen was sworn in as a Circuit Court judge for the Second Circuit in April 2005. He was a gubernatorial nominee of former Gov. Linda Lingle. His term as circuit judge expires in 2025.

Prior to his appointment, he served as the interim director for the state Department of Public Safety and as the first deputy attorney general for the state. Judge Bissen served as the prosecuting attorney for the County of Maui from August 1995 to January 2003. Prior to that, he served as a deputy prosecutor from 1987 to 1991 and again from 1992 to 1995.

Judge Bissen has long worked to reduce domestic violence rates while advocating for juvenile justice and women offenders. He was a founding member of the Maui Drug Court program.

He is active in several Maui community organizations, including the Maui United Way, Royal Order of Kamehameha-Kahekili Chapter, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Hawaii-Maui Chapter, Hale Mua Hawaiian Cultural Group and Punana Leo ‘o Maui Advisory Committee.

MNHCoC members will elect a new board of directors and slate of officers during the event. A buffet dinner catered by Ho’apili Ane is included in the admission fee. Admission is $20 for members paid in advance at www.mnhcoc.org or $25 at the door. Non-members will pay $30 at the door. The deadline to register is Sunday, June 12. To reserve your spot, visit www.mnhcoc.org or call (808) 633-3079.