Kauai deputy prosecutor out of job amid flap over judicial nominee

A deputy county prosecutor on Kauai who lodged a criminal complaint against a state judicial nominee last week no longer has his job.

The Kauai County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney said that Robert Christensen, a junior deputy prosecuting attorney who filed the complaint, was no longer employed by the county as of Tuesday.

“This is the extent of the details that can be provided as this involves a personnel matter,” the office said in an email.

Christensen could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Christensen filed the complaint with the state Judiciary’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel against Kauai attorney Gregory Meyers last week as Meyers was being considered by the state Senate for confirmation as a state district judge for Family Court on Kauai.

Christensen also sent the Senate Judiciary Committee written testimony on prosecutor’s office stationery opposing confirmation of Meyers that referenced the complaint and said Meyers was under criminal investigation initiated by the prosecutor’s office for alleged witness tampering.

The committee voted Monday to recommend confirmation of Meyers after a Thursday public hearing at which several Kauai lawyers including former prosecutors said the complaint against Meyers lacked merit.

Kauai County Prosecuting Attorney Rebecca Like sent the committee a letter Friday saying that Christensen’s testimony falsely implied that her office opposed a confirmation of Meyers.

Like also clarified Christensen’s claim that the Kauai Police Department was currently investigating the allegations against Meyers. She said the matter was referred to KPD, which recommended no charges be filed, and that the case was then referred to the state Office of the Attorney General with Meyers reclassified as a “person of interest.”

The complaint by Christensen involved an allegation that Meyers, a defense attorney, interviewed a prosecution witness as part of defending a client in December.

Attorneys supporting Meyers told the committee that there is nothing illegal or unethical about that, calling it diligent defense work.

Meyers was confirmed for the Judiciary job in a 20-0 Senate vote Tuesday.