A Maui District Family Court judge forced to flee her Kula home during the Maui wildfires was honored as one of 60 “courageous judges” by the National Judicial College for her work on behalf of vulnerable children and families in the aftermath of the deadly fires.

Adrienne Heely Caires, a Second Circuit District Court judge since 2012, was nominated by Paul Tonnessen, executive director of the Maui Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, who lauded Heely Caires as “an outstanding judge for not only in her role as a judge but also for her humanitarian presence she gifts our community with on a daily basis.”

“She is a woman who understands the need to be an instrument of peace for all she encounters both inside and outside the courtroom,” Tonnessen said in a news release issued on Tuesday. “While she needs to address the issues coming before her, she also has the empathy to understand why.”

The list, compiled in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of NJC, is mainly composed of state court judges but also includes celebrated figures like Frank Johnson, the federal judge in the 1956 Rosa Parks trial, as well as tribal judges, judges from other countries.

“We hope this list raises people’s awareness of and appreciation for the thousands of steadfast judges who keep the promise of equal justice under law every day, including those days when it would be more popular or convenient to do something else,” said NJC president Benes Aldana.

Heely Caires, husband Leo and their four children evacuated their home as fires swept across Kula early on Aug. 8, 2023. They returned a week later to find the structure heavily damaged.

“We were lucky our house was not completely destroyed,” Caires said in the release. “More than 20 of our neighbors lost their homes.”

Despite her personal losses, Heely Caires joined judicial colleagues from across the state in working with Child Welfare Services staff, guardians ad litem and others to find shelters for displaced foster children from Lahaina.

“We had to act fast and, thankfully, there were so many who responded,” she said.

Heely Caires noted that Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald and deputy administrative director Brandon Kimura visited the island shortly after the fires to speak with judges, the Maui County Bar Association and others about the needs of the community, including support for hundreds of traumatized children and adults

“Brandon connected me with the Governor’s Office on Wellness and Resilience and we were able to copy and laminate 500 of their mental health resource care cards thanks to funding assistance from the Children’s Justice Act Committee,” Heely Caires said. “The cards, which provide tips on trauma informed care, were distributed to the judges, public defenders, county prosecutors, Office of Mayor, and all resource centers for the volunteers and leaders helping at the evacuation shelters.

Heely Caires pointed to one particular case involving an 8-year-old foster child as cause for hope in a time of tragedy.

“Charlie’s mom had passed away two years ago and while at the beach scattering her ashes, she saw another girl about her age,” Heely Caires said. “Charlie asked the girl if she could go and live with her. Fast forward two years and Charlie was scheduled to be adopted a week after the wildfires by the other little girl’s family.

“When I saw Charlie at the adoption proceeding, she had the biggest smile on her face,” she said. “Despite just losing her home and school and having to re-shelter and re-enroll in a new school, there she was, so happy! All she wanted was to get another copy of the Astronaut Girl book I had previously given her, because she lost it in the fire. Needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the courtroom.”

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.