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

Published April 18, 2024 6:49 PM

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.

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