Walter Meheula Heen

Walter Meheula Heen
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii
In office January 1, 1981 – December 16, 1981
Appointed by	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Dick Yin Wong
Succeeded by	Harold Michael Fong
Personal details
Born	1928 (age 87–88) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Parents	Ernest Nalani Jeannette Kahuoi Hanapi Heen
Alma mater	University of Hawaii (B.A.) Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.)
Profession	lawyer, politician, judge

Walter Meheula Heen (born 1928) is an American lawyer, politician and judge. He briefly served as judge on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii and trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Life

Heen was born in 1928 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the son of Ernest Nalani and Jeannette Kahuoi (Hanapi) Heen. He attended the University of Hawaii where he received a B.A. in economics in 1953 and the Georgetown University Law Center where he graduated with a J.D. in 1955.

Highlights of his career include:

• Private practice, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1955–1972
• Deputy city attorney, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1957–1958
• Member, Territorial House of Representatives, Hawaii, 1959
• Member, State House of Representatives, Hawaii, 1959–1964
• Member, Hawaii State Senate, 1966–1968
• Member, Honolulu City Council, Hawaii, 1969–1972, Chairman, 1969–1970
• Judge, Hawaii District Court, First Circuit, 1972–1974
• Judge, Hawaii Circuit Court, First Circuit,1974–1978
• U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii, 1978-1980^[1]

Heen received a recess appointment from Jimmy Carter on January 1, 1981, to a seat vacated by Dick Yin Wong on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. He was nominated on January 8, 1981 but his service terminated on December 16, 1981, after nomination was not confirmed by the United States Senate.^[2] He was appointed Associate judge of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals in 1982, serving until 1994.

He was elected in 2006 as a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs representing Oʻahu. He ran for re-election in November 2010, but lost to Peter Apo.^[3]

References

1. "Walter Meheula Heen". Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
2. Walter Meheula Heen at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
3. "General Election—State of Hawaii—Statewide Final Summary Report" (PDF). Hawaii office of Elections. November 16, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2010.

External links

• JUDGE WALTER M. HEEN--A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT