Wilson A. Unga at a glance
- Current role
- Family Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Hawaii · State
- Judicial service
- Active
- Term and retention
- Current term ends June 4, 2031
Wilson A. Unga
Family Court Judge · Hawaii Family Court, First Circuit
Biography
Professional career
- Deputy Prosecuting Attorney at the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu since 2013
- He received an appointment from Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald on April 4, 2025, following nomination by the Judicial Selection Commission, and his term runs until June 4, 2031, subject to Senate confirmation
- Nominated by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald, confirmed by the Senate, and sworn in on August 14, 2025 at Aliʻiōlani Hale in Honolulu
- District Family Court Judge for the First Circuit in Hawaii, serving on Oʻahu, appointed in August 2025 after a career in Honolulu’s Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
- Hawaii Family Court judge for the First Circuit, appointed in April 2025, with a background in prosecutorial service and community leadership.
- The ceremony marked the final official event under Recktenwald’s tenure as Chief Justice
- Judge Unga’s career reflects a blend of legal service in the prosecution office, leadership in felony and domestic violence cases, and community engagement
Education
- Bachelor of Science in International Politics from Georgetown University, cum laude; an MBA from the University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business, cum laude;
- a JD from the William S. Richardson School of Law.
Additional information
- The Hawaii Senate’s Judiciary Committee report identifies him as a Honolulu deputy prosecuting attorney since 2013 and chief of the Felony Trials Division, following service as Domestic Violence Felony Team Captain.
- Wilson A. Unga was nominated for a six-year District Family Court appointment in the First Circuit in 2025.
- He is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaiʻi State Bar in 2012
- He was co-chief of the Asian-Pacific Law and Policy Journal and joined the Hawaii bar in 2012.
- Unga’s judicial service follows a long track record in prosecuting serious felony cases, including domestic violence
- colleagues and opposing counsel describe him as
- His appointment was part of a trio of new family court judges on Oʻahu, alongside Maria F. Penn and Rochelle I. Vidinha
- His appointment to the Family Court marks a transition from prosecutorial work to adjudicating sensitive family matters in Hawaiʻi’s justice system
- Felony Trials Division Chief - Domestic Violence Felony Team CaptainJudiciary
- Mayor’s Exceptional Achievement Award
- volunteer youth mentor
- prepared, fair, measured, compassionate, and respectful
- , qualities they believe are well-suited to family court work
- His honors included Shidler Department Merit and Chew Jay scholarships, the John S. Edmunds legal-writing award and an APIL grant.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
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Camera Microphone Placement
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Hawaii leaves courtroom camera and microphone placement to the judge and cautions that judges may differ on placement rules.
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Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
Hawaii State Judiciary official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Hawaii State Judiciary official judicial roster ↗Cameras and Audio Equipment
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Cameras and Audio Equipment ↗Remote Court Hearings via Zoom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Remote Court Hearings via Zoom ↗Hawaii State Judiciary judicial profile or roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Hawaii State Judiciary judicial profile or roster ↗data.capitol.hawaii.gov
Biography source · HTML · Source checked October 5, 2026
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