Bush nominates Rohlfing
to federal judgeship

The appointment must be
approved by the U.S. Senate

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By Ron Staton
Associated Press

President Bush has tapped Honolulu attorney Frederick W. "Fritz" Rohlfing III for a seat on the U.S. District Court bench in Hawaii.

Rohlfing said he applied for the $145,100-a-year job online, sent in his resume and received initial response from the White House in May.

He said was informed of the selection last week.

"What judges should be doing is enforcing the Constitution and laws on the books and doing their best to be fair to all parties that appear before the court," Rohlfing said in outlining his view of the job.

The White House announced Rohlfing's selection in a brief statement yesterday. Each federal judgeship requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate, which is expected to hold a hearing on the nomination.

If confirmed, Rohlfing, 45, would fill the vacancy created when U.S. District Judge Alan Kay took semiretired senior status.

Rohlfing is the son of former Republican state Sen. Fred Rohlfing, who also served as a part-time U.S. magistrate on Maui.

Rohlfing said that when he learned last year that the Bush administration was interviewing candidates for the judgeship, he contacted state Rep. Barbara Marumoto, Bush's campaign chairman in Hawaii, who encouraged him to apply.

Rohlfing went to Washington in October for an interview with the White House counsel, and in late November or early December was told the White House was very interested.

"There were a lot of good names, and the president made an excellent choice," said Marumoto (R, Kahala-Waialae-Maunalani Heights).

Rohlfing said he met in October with Hawaii's Democratic Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye when he was in Washington.

Rohlfing has been in private practice in Honolulu for 19 years, since April 1997 with partner Lorrie Lee Stone in the firm Rohlfing & Stone.

He has specialized in civil litigation and has argued cases in both state and federal court.

Rohlfing also served as chief minority attorney in the state Senate in 1995 and in the state House in 1985.

He also is chief executive officer of Aloha Sports Inc., which produced the Aloha and Oahu Bowl college football games. The Oahu Bowl, which moved to Seattle, was played Dec. 27 as the Seattle Bowl. The Aloha Bowl was to have been played in San Francisco but was postponed for a year at the request of the NCAA following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Rohlfing said.

Rohlfing said his company is considering moving the Aloha Bowl back to Honolulu if an agreement can be worked out with the University of Hawaii.

If confirmed for the federal judgeship, Rohlfing said he would resign from any active management in the company.

A 1974 Punahou School graduate, Rohlfing graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1978, and from the University of Chicago Law School in 1983. He is married to the former Deon Kinue Tsuya and is the father of four children.