Former U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo received bipartisan support yesterday during his confirmation hearing to become a state Circuit Court judge. But some senators had questions about Kubo, who had been an active proponent of strong anti-drug laws.

Federal judges Alan Kay and Michael Seabright testified in favor of Kubo, and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann also sent in testimony supporting Kubo.

Kubo is a career prosecutor, working first as a deputy city prosecutor and becoming an assistant U.S. attorney in 1990, and was named U.S. attorney in 2001.

He drew bipartisan support as Democratic Reps. Michael Magaoay (Schofield-Kahuku) and Maile Shimabukuro (Waianae-Makua) both supported his nomination, as did Republicans Reps. Barbara Marumoto (Kalani Valley-Diamond Head) and Kymberly Pine (Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point).

“;Ed Kubo will be an excellent judge, and I offer my enthusiastic support for his nomination to this important post,”; Hannemann said in his written statement.

But Sen. Brian Taniguchi, Judiciary Committee chairman, said the committee had more questions about Kubo and expected to recall him as witness on Thursday.

“;We will have additional questions and hopefully then take a vote,”; Taniguchi said.

“;The testimony today was pretty overwhelming. There was a lot of community support and a cross section of the bar, but there was also some negative testimony,”; Taniguchi said.

“;I haven't made a judgment yet,”; Taniguchi said.

Some of the negative testimony came from the Drug Policy Action Group's Pam Lichty, who said Kubo showed poor judgment by saying the state's medical marijuana program “;was essentially dead”; and that he would prosecute doctors who recommended medical marijuana to patients.

“;He didn't do his homework prior to making those threatening statements,”; Lichty said.