Governor Linda Lingle announced on January 2, 2009 that Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Rom Alex Trader will serve as a Judge of the First Circuit Court of the State of Hawaii if confirmed by the Senate.

Rom Trader is a veteran prosecutor with over 20 years of experience.  He is and has been an integral part of the leadership of the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney and currently serves as Chief of the Domestic Violence and Juvenile Offender Division.  Prior to his current position, Rom Trader has served as Chief of the Felony Trials Division as well as Captain of the Robbery/Burglary and Theft/Forgery Teams.  He has served in various assignments in Domestic Violence, Organized Crime, Sexual Assault, Career Criminal, Felony Trials, Family Court, and Misdemeanor.

Trial Expertise - Rom Trader has personally prosecuted countless major felony cases including several dozen high profile murder and sexual assault cases throughout his long career.  Among others, his pending notable cases include the prosecution of Matthew Higa for murdering 23-month-old Cyrus Belt by throwing the baby off a pedestrian overpass onto the H-1 Freeway and Alapeti Tunoa for brutally bludgeoning to death his ex-girlfriend Janel Tupuola with a shotgun and assaulting a Good Samaritan for coming to her aid.  Rom Trader is recognized for his expertise in DNA evidence which played a key role in Peter Carlisle's prosecution of Kirk Lankford, the man that murdered Japanese visitor Masumi Watanabe.

Recent Honors - In 2008, Rom Trader received the Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award by the Men's March Against Domestic Violence, and in 2007 was named Citizen of the Year by the Honolulu Police Department.

Rom Trader's Notable Cases

Rom Trader's Curriculum Vitae

Rom Trader in The Honolulu Advertiser

Rom Trader in the Star-Bulletin

Deputy prosecutor Rom Trader says the system favors defendants' rights over those of domestic-violence victims. "The reality is ... victims are going to get shortchanged," he says.

Rom Trader explained domestic violence from the prosecutor's perspective in an article recently appearing in The Honolulu Advertiser.  Read the full article:  System failure - Domestic abuse victims frustrated by gaps in safety net - The Honolulu Advertiser