Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 5, 1 May 2020 — Jury Verdict Affirmed in West Maui Land Case [ARTICLE]

Jury Verdict Affirmed in West Maui Land Case

On April 6th, the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA) affirmed the decision of a Maui jury in June 2017 that recognized Kaua'ula Valley resident Ke'eaumoku Kapu and his family as the owners of a kuleana parcel in Ko'oka, Kaua'ula Valley. The ICA decision comes after a nearly 20-year struggle. In 2002, Makila Land Company, a subsidiary of West Maui Land Company, filed suit against the Kapu family claiming title to their familyland. Ajury trial washeldin 2017 to determine who owned the land in question. After a week-long trial the jury ruled in favor of the Kapu family. Makila Land appealed to the ICA, claiming three procedural errors during the trial and one legal error before the trial by Circuit Court Judge Peter Cahill, however their appeal was rejected. Makila Land and the Kapu family have two other cases concerning neighboring kuleana parcels pending before the Hawai'i Supreme Court.