Skip to Content

Hawaii Supreme Court chides state’s legal moves on water after deadly Maui wildfire

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Supreme Court says the state attorney general’s office must pay attorney fees for using last year’s Maui wildfire tragedy to file a petition in “bad faith” that blamed a state court judge for a lack of water for firefighting. The ruling says the state tried to leverage the most horrific event in state history to advance its interests. The day after Lahaina burned in a deadly August fire, the state attorney general’s office filed a petition alleging east Maui stream flow protections established by Judge Jeffrey Crabtree caused the water shortage. The Sierra Club of Hawaii says the state exploited the tragedy to help a private company monopolize water.

Article Topic Follows: AP National

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

Associated Press

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KIFI Local News 8 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content