A couple of local legal updates in the GI

An update in the Naue burial civil trespass case -

Among the motions granted last week by 5th Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe were Brescia’s ones to name certain Kauaians in the trespassing suit by default, and to order them not to trespass or obstruct construction.

The motions also affirmed that many of those named in the case, including Edens-Huff, have no title to Brescia’s property, as they had argued.

Motions to set aside the charges by attorneys for Edens-Huff, Hale Mawae, Dane Gonsalves and Andrew Cabebe were denied, meaning they could be found liable at trial for some or all of the damages resulting in their roles in hindering construction at the site, said Camille Kalama of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, representing another defendant, Jeff Chandler.

Edens-Huff and many of the other named defendants can’t challenge any of the accusations made against them at next year’s trial, and will be allowed only to contest the amount of damages owed, as a result of Watanabe’s Friday rulings on the various motions, Kalama said.

Defendants including Chandler and Puanani Rogers have filed third-party claims against various state agencies, claiming the state entities failed to follow historic burial procedures, Kalama continued.

And in the Ka Loko dam disaster civil case -

Fifth Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe on Wednesday denied James Pflueger’s motion to delay the trial portion of his wrongful-death civil case until the manslaughter criminal case against him is decided.