A new Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer has been appointed in the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii. Judith A. Phillips is taking over in the Office by virtue of the Vacancies Reform Act, following former U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price. Furthermore, Judith Phillips will assume the duties of Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii on February 21, 2021. She shall continue to do so for the next 300 days, or until such time that the Biden Administration has been able to appoint a new Chief Federal Prosecutor for the district.
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Educational Background and State Bar Admissions
A graduate of the Drew University, U.S. Attorney Judith Phillips received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the Rutgers Law School – Camden in 198 and was subsequently granted admission to the New Jersey State Bar Association; however, her license was administratively revoked on December 28, 2020. The United States Attorney Phillips remains an active member of the New York State Bar Association since 1990.
Legal Career
Following her graduation from law school, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips launched her legal career by joining the Kings County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. She served in the position for about eight years, bringing vital reinforcement in investigations and prosecutions of a wide variety of matters, focusing on violent crimes. The eight years of service of U.S. Attorney Judith Phillips in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office were genuinely outstanding. They were a significant advantage for the Office, particularly in the combat against traditional Organized Crime and Asian gangs. Her skills in prosecuting cases of violent crimes, along with U.S. Attorney Phillip’s involvement and contribution in the prosecution of an Asian gang was recognized by the United States Department of Justice, which then led to her appointment as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
United States Attorney Judith Phillips remained in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for some time and was later appointed as Assistant United States Attorney of the Office’s Criminal Division. In this capacity, U.S. Attorney Phillips handled numerous cases and has gotten involved in a number of significant investigations and prosecutions, mainly on matters of significant narcotics and violent gang criminal cases.
During her long years of service in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Judith Phillips was also given the opportunity to handle several leadership roles. She previously served as the Chief of the Intake and Arraignments Unit of the Criminal Division of the Office. She was responsible for the training of the newly appointed Assistant U.S. Attorneys under the unit. On top of that, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips supervised these prosecutors and guided them through the investigation and prosecution processes, as well as in the trial of federal offenses. As Chief of the Intake and Arraignments Unit, U.S. Attorney Judith A. Phillips handled countless federal offenses ranging from fraud to violent crime and has successfully trained hundreds of Assistant U.S. Attorney throughout her tenure.
In May of 2018, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips left the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York to join the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. She initially served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney to former U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price. She remained in the position for three years until her recent appointment as Acting U.S. Attorney. Holding the senior-most management position in the Office, U.S. Attorney Phillips oversaw all of the criminal prosecutions and civil litigations in the Office, as well as all of its administrative operations.
Acting United States Attorney Judith Phillips has approximately 31 years of legal experience and over 25 years of experience as a career prosecutor in state and federal courts. In the course of her service as First Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, Judith Phillips has provided exemplary guidance and assistance to former U.S. Attorney Price. Together, they have tackled several significant cases, including the case of public corruption against former Kauai County Councilman Arthur Brun. They have also emphasized combating sex trafficking cases and drug-related offenses, particularly methamphetamine.
Office Jurisdiction
As the incumbent Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the District of Hawaii, Judith A. Phillips is in charge of supervising about 68 employees, comprising 28 talented Assistant U.S. Attorneys and more than 40 support personnel. Furthermore, she is expected to lead the Office in the investigation and prosecution of all civil litigations and criminal prosecutions within the district in which the United States is a party. Acting U.S. Attorney Judith Phillips is also to recover the debts owed to the United States and ultimately is responsible for serving the approximately 1.4 million residents of the State of Hawaii.
Contact Details
Full Name: Judith A. Phillips
District/State: Hawaii
Public email ID: judy.phillips@usdoj.gov
Honolulu Office
300 Ala Moana Blvd., #6-100
Honolulu, HI 96850
(808) 541-2850
Main
(808) 541-1830
TDD
1 (888) 310-9018
Victim Witness Assistance
Social Media Profiles of Judith Phillips
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Twitter Field
Username: U.S. Attorney Hawaii
Tag: @USAO_HI
URL: https://twitter.com/USAO_HI
Updated: March 2, 2021
Clare E. Connors is the next State’s Attorney for the District of Hawaii. Her biography can be found here.
Updated: July 2, 2022