TREVOR OZAWA v. THOMAS WATERS TOMMY WATERS (2026)

Supreme Court of Hawai‘i.

TREVOR R. OZAWA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. CHADD KADOTA, in his official capacity as Acting City Clerk of the City and County of Honolulu; SCOTT T. NAGO, in his official capacity as Chief Election Officer of the State of Hawai‘i, Defendants-Appellees, THOMAS WATERS a/k/a TOMMY WATERS, Defendant-Appellant.

SCAP-26-0000550

Decided: August 28, 2026

(By: McKenna, Acting C.J., and Ginoza, J., and Circuit Judge Soong, in place of Devens, C.J., recused, Circuit Judge Cahill, in place of Eddins, J., recused, and Circuit Judge Kubota, assigned by reason of vacancy)

Joseph A. Stewart Lex R. Smith Bruce A. Nakamura Zachary K. Shikada for appellant Thomas Waters Deirdre Marie-Iha Matthew D. Ezer Kellie K. L. Wong for appellee Trevor R. Ozawa Jung Min Lee Aaron H. Schulaner for appellee Scott Nago Duane W. H. Pang Jacqueline M. De Leeuw Huang for appellee Chadd Kadota

SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER

Defendant-Appellant Thomas Waters a/k/a Tommy Waters appeals from the Circuit Court of the First Circuit's (Circuit Court) July 29, 2026 “Order (1) Denying Defendant Thomas Waters's a/k/a Tommy Waters Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff Trevor R. Ozawa's Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief; (2) Denying Defendant Chadd Kadota's Motion for Partial Joinder and (3) Granting Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment” (July 29, 2026 Order) and July 29, 2026 Final Judgment.

For the reasons set forth in this court's opinion filed August 28, 2026, in SCEC-26-0000585, we vacate the Circuit Court's July 29, 2026 Order and July 29, 2026 Final Judgment and dismiss this case.

DATED: Honolulu, Hawai‘i, August 28, 2026.

Sabrina S. McKenna

Lisa M. Ginoza

Michael K. Soong

Peter T. Cahill

Peter K. Kubota

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