Chief Justice Ronald Moon will honor Hawai`i Island District Court Judge Joseph Florendo as "Jurist of the Year" and help present Incentive Awards and Years of Service Awards to Judiciary employees during a ceremony to be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17 in the Supreme Court courtroom.

Chief Justice Moon selected Judge Florendo after reviewing nominations from court employees and attorneys.

"Judge Florendo has earned a reputation of being hard-working, fair-minded, compassionate, and not only knowledgeable in the law, but a good student of the law," said Chief Justice Moon. "His rulings are thoughtful, grounded in the law, and tempered with compassion."

In addition to his judicial competence, Judge Florendo will be recognized for his achievements as Deputy Chief Judge of the District Court of the Third Circuit, a position he has held since March 2007. Judge Florendo's leadership and collaborative management style helped his staff adapt to major changes in the processing of traffic cases and become proficient with a new computer system.

As a result, traffic notices and judgments are now generated in court shortly after the court's ruling is entered into the system, which speeds up the entire process for litigants and their attorneys as well as court staff.