Gov. Neil Abercrombie has named a state trial court judge to join the Hawaii Supreme Court as an associate justice.

The governor on Tuesday appointed First Circuit Court Judge Sabrina McKenna during a news conference in his state Capitol office.

If confirmed by the state Senate, McKenna would fill the vacancy that was created in September when Associate Justice Mark Recktenwald was elevated to be chief justice. He had been nominated in February by then-Gov. Linda Lingle.

McKenna became a Circuit judge in June 1995. Before that, she was a district court judge, private lawyer and law professor at the University of Hawaii law school.

The Supreme Court is comprised of five justices.