LIHUE — As the newly elected chair of the Hawaii Prosecuting Attorney’s Association, Justin Kollar hopes to continue working for productive relationships among key players in law enforcement. One way to do that is working with the four county prosecutors
LIHUE — As the newly elected chair of the Hawaii Prosecuting Attorney’s Association, Justin Kollar hopes to continue working for productive relationships among key players in law enforcement.
One way to do that is working with the four county prosecutors offices, the Hawaii Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney for Hawaii, Kollar said.
“(We) have all worked together for years now and we all know that we can count on one another for advice and assistance when issues arise, as they do in the criminal justice world,” he said.
He plans to keep the lines of communication open by meeting quarterly with the other members of the association.
The Hawaii Prosecuting Attorney’s Association, made up of six prosecuting attorneys across the state, is dedicated to advancing the profession.
“Our primary concern in the upcoming year is to work with our Legislature to pass smart criminal justice bills and also to make sure we provide good training opportunities to our statewide prosecution community,” Kollar said.
During his year-long term, Kollar wants to tackle the number domestic violence and DUI cases.
“We have some legislative goals in terms of making amendments to the penal code to close loopholes in case charging, domestic violence, and DUI cases,” Kollar said. “We also hope to collaborate on training opportunities concerning search and seizure law as well as DUI prosecution.”
This is Kollar’s first time serving as chair of the association. He was appointed Dec. 30.
The chair rotates between the Honolulu, Maui, Kauai and Attorney General’s offices.
“I enjoy working with all my partners in the different counties. Each of them brings a lot to the table in terms of experience, knowledge and ability,” Kollar said.
Kollar was elected to the Kauai Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in 2012. He was re-elected to serve another four years in November, defeating Lisa Arin by more than 1,000 votes.
Kollar hopes his appointment as chair will lend a Kauai voice to the association.
“We have a place at the table in terms of issues that matter to public safety on Kauai and in Hawaii,” he said.
