State briefs for December 19

Former AG Chin joins law firm

HONOLULU — Former state Attorney General Doug Chin joined a Honolulu law firm following his unsuccessful run for Congress this year.

The law firm of Starn, O’Toole, Marcus and Fisher announced Monday the hiring of Chin as a director focusing on commercial litigation and government relations.

Chin, who was appointed attorney general in 2015, led Hawaii’s fight against the Trump administration’s travel ban. Under Chin, the state office took positions against more than 20 of the administration’s policies, filing lawsuits, legal briefs in support of other states’ lawsuits and letters to the president or U.S. lawmakers.

He became lieutenant governor in February after Shan Tsutsui resigned. Chin’s time in that role ended earlier this month when Josh Green was sworn into office.

Chin ran for the U.S. House seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. He failed to win the Democratic Party nomination in an August primary. Democrat Ed Case later won the seat.

Chin served as Honolulu’s city managing director from 2010-13. He was also a deputy prosecutor for Honolulu.

Man falls, dies at Manoa Falls

HONOLULU — A 27-year-old man died after falling from near the top of a waterfall in a popular hiking area on Oahu, authorities said.

The man was found in the pool at the bottom of Manoa Falls on Monday morning after he fell more than 75 feet.

Ailish Rincon, who was at the pool with her sister, Rocio Crowley, and brother-in-law, Warren Crowley, witnessed the man’s fall.

The couple vacationing from Los Angeles called 911 and Rincon administered CPR. Other nearby hikers assisted. The man sustained a wound to his head.

The man was airlifted to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said Honolulu Fire spokesman Capt. Scot Seguirant.

The Honolulu medical examiner’s office has not yet released the man’s name, saying his identification was pending.

The man appeared to have been hiking alone, said battalion chief Alan Carvalho. People hiking or swimming alone should tell others what they are doing, he said.