Birkett v. Brown

• Court: Hawaii Supreme Court
• Decided: July 23, 2025
• Docket: SCPW-25-0000232
• Status: Published

Opinion

Electronically Filed Supreme Court SCPW-XX-XXXXXXX 23-JUL-2025 01:04 PM Dkt. 6 ODDP

SCPW-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAIʻI ________________________________________________________________

SOMMER DAWN BIRKETT, Petitioner,

vs.

THE HONORABLE ROBERT J. BROWN, Judge of the District Family Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaiʻi, Respondent Judge,

and

RYAN TARO BIRKETT, Respondent. ________________________________________________________________

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING (CASE NO. 1DV221000879)

ORDER DENYING PETITION (By: Recktenwald, C.J., McKenna, Eddins, Ginoza, and Devens, JJ.)

Upon consideration of the document titled, “Formal Judicial

Complaint Against Judge Robert J. Brown,” filed March 24, 2025,

which we construe as a petition for extraordinary writ, and the

record, Petitioner has not demonstrated a clear and indisputable

right to relief nor a lack of alternative means to seek relief.

See Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP v. Kim, 153 Hawaiʻi 307, 319, 537 P.3d 1154, 1166 (2023); see also Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes

§ 571-54 (2018); Eaton v. Eaton, 7 Haw. App. 111, 118-19, 748

P.2d 801, 805 (App. 1987).

It is ordered that the petition is denied.

It is also ordered that Petitioner’s request for leave to

proceed in forma pauperis in this original proceeding is

granted. The appellate clerk shall process the petition without

payment of the filing fees.

DATED: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, July 23, 2025.

/s/ Mark E. Recktenwald

/s/ Sabrina S. McKenna

/s/ Todd W. Eddins

/s/ Lisa M. Ginoza

/s/ Vladimir P. Devens