Retired 3rd Circuit Chief Judge Greg Nakamura died Friday. He was 72.
In a statement, Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of Nakamura’s passing and on behalf of the Hawaii State Judiciary extended “heartfelt condolences and aloha” to Nakamura’s wife, Jo-Lyn, his family and his many friends.
“Those who knew Judge Nakamura also remember his love of life outside the law,” Recktenwald said. “He was an avid golfer and pickleball and tennis player, who enjoyed travelling and immersing himself in reading.”
After serving as a clerk to retired Hilo Circuit Judge Ernest Kubota, Nakamura was a civil litigator before devoting nearly three decades to the bench. He first served as a District Family Court judge in Kona beginning in 1990, before his 1994 appointment to the Circuit Court in Hilo. He led the circuit as chief judge in 2017 until his retirement in December 2019.
Former mayor Mitch Roth, the county’s elected prosecutor prior to becoming mayor in 2016, said he was “in shock” from the news.
“He was a great judge and great person. It’s a big loss to our community,” Roth said. “He was what you wanted in a judge. He treated people with dignity and respect. You knew he meant business, but he had a very calm demeanor. I never saw him lose his temper, and he was able to make the difficult decisions.
“He didn’t always rule in our favor, but he was fair and always did what he thought was the right thing, according to the law.”
Nakamura was the presiding judge in several high-profile cases, including those of Kenneth Mathison, a former Big Island police sergeant who died in prison in 2015 after being convicted for the 1992 kidnapping and murder of his wife, Yvonne; Tad Mason, paroled after serving 30-plus years of a life sentence for the 1991 murder of Juliana “Trish” Laysa; and Peter Kema Sr., who was sentenced in 2017 to 20 years imprisonment for manslaughter for the 1997 death of his son, Peter Kema Jr., also known as “Peter Boy,” in perhaps the most notorious missing child-turned-homicide cases in Hawaii history.
In 2011, one of Nakamura’s more novel sentences drew national attention.
Four University of Hawaii at Hilo softball players were accused of shoplifting $674 in merchandise, including computer games and a “Despicable Me” DVD from Hilo Walmart. As one of the conditions for a deferred acceptance of the women’s no contest pleas — to erase the Class C felony theft charge from their records — Nakamura ordered them to complete their four-year degrees.
All later had their theft charges dismissed per their deferrals.
For more than a decade Nakamura guided the Big Island Drug Court, where he was known for his compassion, wit, and unwavering belief in rehabilitation. According to Recktenwald, the retired judge and his wife would often encounter Drug Court graduates in Hilo who would stop to thank him for his support and share how they were doing.
“If you saw him in Drug Court or Veterans Court, you’d see a different side of him, a sense of humor, and you’d see him engage with the participants,” Roth said.
Nakamura told the Tribune-Herald in 2019 that Drug Court was a labor of love to him.
“Yes, it really was,” he said. “Because you can make a real difference, I think, in people’s lives by talking with them, encouraging them, guiding them to become clean and sober and responsible adults. I call it ‘normal, ordinary responsible persons, NORPS.’”
Beyond the courtroom, Nakamura said what meant the most to him professionally was the success of many law clerks who trained under his guidance and became contributing members of the bar and active participants in the community.
A short list includes: Kona Circuit Judge Kimberly Tsuchiya; Deputy Prosecutors Kevin Hashizaki, Jeff Malate and Ryan Caday; and Deputy Corporation Counsel Justin Lee.
Roth called Nakamura “a hero to many,” while Recktenwald said the retired judge’s “influence as a mentor and role model will be felt for generations.”
In addition to his wife, Nakamura is survived by a son, a daughter and grandchildren. Services are pending.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
