Chester Hinds is promoted to OAG’s chief prosecutor

Attorney General Edward Manibusan, right, swears in Chester Hinds as the new chief prosecutor of the Office of the Attorney General’s Criminal Division. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Attorney General Edward Manibusan announced Friday the promotion of assistant attorney general Chester Hinds to the position of chief prosecutor of the OAG’s Criminal Division.

“I am delighted to appoint Mr. Chester Hinds as chief prosecutor of the criminal division. Chester has made it evident in his role as an [assistant attorney general] for the last seven years of his unwavering commitment to the office and, most importantly, to the people of the Commonwealth. I have every confidence in Chester’s new role as chief that he will lead the division and continue his service to the public,” said Manibusan.

Prior to joining the OAG, Hinds worked as a deputy prosecutor for the city of Honolulu prosecutor’s office where he was responsible for criminal matters such as domestic violence and felony cases. He completed a number of externships that included the Circuit Court of the First Circuit under the guidance of the Honorable Michael D. Wilson and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“I am proud and grateful to [Manibusan] for the appointment to the position of chief prosecutor,” said Hinds. “I have been a practicing attorney since 2007 and have continued my role as a prosecutor since joining the CNMI OAG in 2014. …I have appreciated the opportunity to serve the community in my capacity as a prosecutor, and as chief I want to continue to have the prosecutor’s office serve the CNMI community, by seeking justice within the law. I want to continue to strengthen the bond between the OAG and law enforcement agencies that will allow us to work together efficiently.”

A priority Hinds aspires to continue is the office’s working partnership with treatment courts such as the Drug and Mental Health Court and treatment providers such as the Community Guidance Center, HOPE Recovery Center, and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. “Incarceration is not always the answer and these treatment courts are a crucial component to cut recidivism and help those in need to become wholesome members of our community,” he said.

Hinds earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law in Honolulu, Hawaii after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Business from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. He is admitted to practice law in Hawaii and the CNMI. (PR)