Charles Marsland

Charles Marsland (1923–2007) was a Honolulu attorney who served as the first elected Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu from 1981 to 1988. He is best known for his aggressive prosecution of the Hawaiian Mob during the mid 1980s, which took place after the murder of his son that was allegedly connected to organized crime.

Early life and education

Marsland, the grandson of Norwegian immigrants to Hawaii, was born on April 11, 1923. His father, Charles F. Marsland Sr., was a deep-sea diver and his mother Sadie was a schoolteacher. Marsland attended the prestigious Punahou School and, upon graduation, attended Tufts College in Medford, Massachusetts. While enrolled, he joined the US Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps as a rifleman and was subsequently deployed to fight in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II.

Deputy Corporation Counsel in Honolulu (1967 - 1979)

Marsland left Boston following his divorce and moved back to Honolulu in 1967. His first job in Hawaii was as a deputy corporation counsel, handling civil litigation for the city of Honolulu. His work involved compliance with civil rights law, pursuing civil actions on behalf of the city, and defending police officers accused of brutality. During this period of his career, he developed a good rapport with the Honolulu Police Department which he carried with him to his next job as county prosecutor.