Kanuha Found Not Guilty Of Obstruction on Mauna Kea

Kanuha in court. Photo: BigIslandVideoNews

Big Island Video News, January 8, 2016

WAIMEA, Hawaii – Kaho’okahi Kanuha was found not guilty by Judge Barbare Takase at the Third-Circuit District Court in Waimea.

Kanuha was charged with obstructing Thirty Meter Telescope crews on the Mauna Kea Access Road on June 24, 2015. He was one of 12 arrested on the mountain that day. Kanuha was a leader in the effort to block construction of the TMT which was granted the right to proceed with the project by the state. The $1.4 billion observatory was set to be located on the northern plateau of the Mauna Kea summit, an area prized by astronomers for being one of the best spots in the world from which to observe the cosmos. The Hawaii Supreme Court later invalidated the telescope’s conservation district use permit, remanding the project back to the start of its permit process, effectively delaying construction for years. The high court ruled that the state did not follow proper procedure when it awarded the permit.