LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i County Prosecuting Attorney-elect Justin F. Kollar released his list of deputy prosecutors who will serve with him as the team takes office on Dec. 3 at noon. Kollar defeated incumbent prosecuting attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho in the November
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i County Prosecuting Attorney-elect Justin F. Kollar released his list of deputy prosecutors who will serve with him as the team takes office on Dec. 3 at noon.
Kollar defeated incumbent prosecuting attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho in the November election. He begins a four-year term with some familiar faces and new personnel.
“This is an outstanding team,” Kollar said in a press release. “I’m honored and blessed to have the opportunity to work with such a talented group of attorneys as we seek to make a safer Kaua‘i. I have every confidence, and every expectation, that they will undertake their duties with honesty, respect and integrity.”
Kevin Takata will serve as the first deputy prosecuting attorney. He has served as a cold-case deputy prosecutor with the state Attorney General since 2010.
Takata brings 23 years of experience with the Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, where he led the Trials Division. In addition to civil litigation, he is credited with more homicide convictions than any other state attorney.
Earlier this month, Takata lost an attempt to unseat incumbent O‘ahu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro.
“I reached out to Kevin because I think he will be a tremendous asset to the office,” Kollar said.
As first deputy prosecuting attorney, Takata will be responsible for day-to-day litigation operations, and the training and mentoring of new attorneys. He will also carry a caseload rather than serve in a public relations role, as did previous first deputies.
The county has a communications team and the office of the prosecutor will keep its deputies working on cases, Kollar said.
Rebecca Vogt returns to serve as the second deputy prosecutor. She has worked with the OPA since 2010 as a deputy prosecutor, and handled domestic violence and felony property crimes.
Vogt will be responsible for daily supervision and training of District Court and Family Court attorneys. She will also carry a caseload.
Vogt has been on medical leave since filing a discrimination suit against the county in September. The suit named Iseri-Carvalho as a defendant.
Current deputy prosecuting attorneys who will remain include John Murphy, Melinda Mendes, Lisa Arin, Ramsey Ross, Gary Nelson and Timothy Tobin.
Tracy Murakami and Shauna Lee Cahill are previous deputy prosecutors who had left the office and are now returning.
There are also four new deputy prosecutors: Timothy Tobin, Teresa Tumbaga, Jenelle Hughes and Ginger Grinpas.
Murphy worked as a deputy county attorney under three mayors and as a deputy attorney general in Honolulu. He has worked for the Kaua‘i OPA since 2009, and will continue to handle felony trials in Circuit Court.
Mendes returns to focus on felony trials involving serious crimes and firearms. She has 23 years experience as a prosecutor, working on Oahu, Maui and in Arizona as an assistant U.S. attorney.
Arin returns to focus on felony sexual assault cases, a role she has held at OPA since 2010. She has 16 years of prior experience as a deputy public defender and criminal defense attorney in California.
Ross will continue to working in District and Circuit Court. He is a 2011 graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Richardson School of Law.
Nelson will continue to work in Family Court and Circuit Court handling domestic violence cases. He is also a 2011 graduate of UH Manoa Richardson School of Law.
Murakami worked as an OPA deputy prosecutor for 11 years before entering private practice. She will resume handling appeals and asset forfeiture cases.
Cahill has several years’ experience on Kaua‘i as a former deputy prosecutor and in private practice. Her caseload will focus on crimes against persons.
Tobin has worked on Kaua‘i for several years as a solo practitioner. He will handle felony drug offenses for the OPA.
Tumbaga will work in District Court and Family Court. The Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar attended Baylor Law School and the University of Notre Dame. She has worked since 2011 as law clerk to the Chief Judge Randal G.B. Valenciano of the 5th Circuit Court, in addition to interning with the Kaua‘i Office of the Public Defender and Hawai‘i State Judiciary.
Hughes will work in District Court and Family Court. The 2011 graduate of UH Manoa Richardson School of Law has clerked for Judge Kathleen N.A. Watanabe of the 5th Circuit Court. Hughes was valedictorian of her class at Kapa‘a High School.
Grinpas will work in District Court and Family Court. She previously clerked for Chief Judge Valenciano and worked as a legislative analyst for the County of Kaua‘i Council Services Division.
• Tom LaVenture can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or tlaventure@thegardenisland.com.
