Walter Meheula Heen
Encyclopedia
Walter Meheula Heen 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
.
. 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:
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
.
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 Oahu
. He ran for re-election in November 2010, but lost to Peter Apo.
Law of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
, politician and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. He briefly served as judge on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii
United States District Court for the District of Hawaii
The United States District Court for the District of Hawaii is the principal trial court of the United States Federal Court System in the state of Hawaii. It is located at the Prince Kuhio Federal Building in downtown Honolulu, fronting the Aloha Tower and Honolulu Harbor. The court hears both...
and trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a semi-autonomous entity of the state of Hawaii charged with the administration of 1.8 million acres of royal land held in trust for the benefit of native Hawaiians...
.
Life
Heen was born in 1928 in Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. He attended the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
where he received a B.A. in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1953 and the Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
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
Heen received a recess appointment
Recess appointment
A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...
from Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
on January 1, 1981, to a seat vacated by Dick Yin Wong
Dick Yin Wong
Dick Yin Wong was an American lawyer and judge. He served as judge on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii....
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
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
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
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a semi-autonomous entity of the state of Hawaii charged with the administration of 1.8 million acres of royal land held in trust for the benefit of native Hawaiians...
representing Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. He ran for re-election in November 2010, but lost to Peter Apo.