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Entries for 'Robert Thomas'

Saturday, July 4, 2026
The Verified Complaint In Equity: The Declaration Of Independence
By Robert Thomas @ 12:15 AM

...the structure and style of the Declaration follows a form familiar to most modern lawyers: a complaint initiating a lawsuit....

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Friday, April 3, 2026
Hawaii's Good Friday Holiday - What's Up With That?
By Robert Thomas @ 12:01 AM

If you ask how "a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary" squares with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, let us explain ....

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Saturday, October 11, 2025
Hawaii Supreme Court: Beachfront Property Is Worthless
By Robert Thomas @ 4:34 AM

...littoral property owners are owed nothing for the temporary regulatory taking of small portions of accreted beach....

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Saturday, September 20, 2025
Supreme Court: State Cannot Enforce Land Restriction for 'Church Purposes Only'
By Robert Thomas @ 3:03 AM

... a land patent issued by the Territory of Hawaii in 1922 limited the uses of the land to "Church purposes only" ....

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Tuesday, February 11, 2025
What Lingle v Chevron Missed: Eminent Domain Pretext
By Robert Thomas @ 11:00 AM

... some tantalizing crumbs about how to raise a claim that a taking lacks a public use or purpose ....

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Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Electricity-Caused Wildland Fires: Costs, Social Fairness, and Proposed Solution
By Robert Thomas @ 2:53 AM

... litigation must be replaced by a system which provides basic compensation to wildfire victims, irrespective of the cause and associated fault ....

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Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Hawaii Bar: 'Property Rights & Regulatory Takings'
By Robert Thomas @ 8:44 PM

... Links And Materials From Hawaii Bar Association Takings Program ....

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Saturday, September 21, 2024
Concealed Carry Ruling Boosts Property Rights?
By Robert Thomas @ 1:03 AM

... While Figuring Out Gun "Sensitive Places," CA9 Backhandedly Upholds The Right To Exclude ....

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Saturday, August 10, 2024
Eminent Domain Justice: Maui Landowner Transfers Case to Federal Court
By Robert Thomas @ 11:23 PM

... an eminent domain case brought by the County of Maui against the owner of Maui property which is needed for a solid waste disposal site ....

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Friday, June 28, 2024
Hawaii Water Wars: If you don't claim a 'taking' you lose
By Robert Thomas @ 12:01 AM

... those standards only apply where there's a takings claim present. And there's no takings claims here ....

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Thursday, June 27, 2024
State Supreme Court: Is Gov't Imposed "Church Purposes" Deed Restriction Void?
By Robert Thomas @ 3:36 PM

... the Hawaii Supreme Court hears oral arguments ....

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Thursday, November 9, 2023
Inverse Condemnation and Hawaii's Wildfires
By Robert Thomas @ 2:07 AM

... the role that ‘damaging clauses’ found in more than half of state constitutions across the United States play in inverse condemnation claims related to natural disasters ....

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Saturday, October 21, 2023
Inverse Condemnation and Paying for Disasters
By Robert Thomas @ 10:36 PM

... Hawaii Bar Association discusses Lahaina fires .... 

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Friday, September 22, 2023
Can One Government Official Really Hold Up Necessary Water Uses? The Hawaii Public Water Trust In Action
By Robert Thomas @ 12:05 AM

... this just had some devastating consequences ....

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Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Audio: Hawaii Inverse Condemnation and Wildfires
By Robert Thomas @ 8:44 PM

... will Hawaii adopt California's version of inverse condemnation liability in wildfire cases? ....

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Tuesday, August 15, 2023
HECO Suits: Two Vacant Hawaii Supreme Court Seats Loom Large
By Robert Thomas @ 8:38 PM

... Hawaii certainly has not adopted the California model of inverse condemnation liability for wildfires. So this will be a case of first impression ....

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Friday, December 9, 2022
Law Of The Lava - Who Owns New "Accreted" Land?
By Robert Thomas @ 10:08 PM

... who owns "accreted" lava ....

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Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Federal Court: Honolulu's 3-Month Minimum Rental Term Preempted By State Law
By Robert Thomas @ 9:28 PM

... Violating the ordinance meant massive daily fines ($10k), plus disgorgement of the rent. Thus, not surprisingly, the ordinance drew a federal court challenge from property owners ....

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Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Nine Years After Katherine Kealoha's Bungled Prosecution, Supreme Court Orders Return of Alleged Gambling Machines
By Robert Thomas @ 1:26 AM

... Police Corruption Scandals Revenge for Gambling Prosecutions? ....

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Friday, December 10, 2021
Takings, PASH, and the Changing Coastal Environment
By Robert Thomas @ 5:55 PM

... the right to exclude is not "universally applicable" in the 808. Let that one sink in ....

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Thursday, November 11, 2021
Hawaii Supreme Court Guts-And-Replaces The Legislature's "Gut-And-Replace" Switcheroo
By Robert Thomas @ 8:01 PM

... a well-functioning republic presumes that those tasked with vigilance -- the public -- have the opportunity to understand the substance of what those whom we elect to represent us are actually doing ....

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Friday, August 27, 2021
SCOTUS Strikes Down CDC Eviction Moratorium And Leaves Tantalizing Clues About Takings
By Robert Thomas @ 11:48 PM

... The other shoe -- perhaps the most predictable shoe drop in legal history -- dropped yesterday ....

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Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Guam Mango Seizure Unconstitutional
By Robert Thomas @ 12:00 PM

... "[i]n the case before us, the government is not merely restricting what Genpro may do with its dried mangoes, it is compelling the physical surrender of the mangoes to WSTCO." ....

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Sunday, June 20, 2021
State Supreme Court: With Environmentalism Anybody Can Veto Affordable Housing
By Robert Thomas @ 4:54 AM

... Anyone Claiming That An Affordable Housing Project Might Impact Their Property Interests In A "Clean And Healthful Environment" Has Standing To Object ....

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Wednesday, June 16, 2021
​Hawaii Court Of Appeals: You Can't Sanction A Member Of The Public For Merely Asking To Unseal Court Records
By Robert Thomas @ 10:15 PM

... the trial court sanctioned 'Judges for Justice' $17,000 for making the request ....

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Thursday, June 10, 2021
PASH and the Changing Coastal Environment
By Robert Thomas @ 2:01 AM

... a retrospective of one of the Hawaii Supreme Court's most famous (or infamous) decisions ....

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Sunday, April 4, 2021
Al Hee Claims Ownership of Federal Subsidies--Court Laughs
By Robert Thomas @ 2:47 AM

... There's a lot there: acronyms, bureaucracy-speak, family-inside politician dealings, tax fraud convictions, and the like ....

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Wednesday, March 24, 2021
What are the Limits to Hawaii Governors' Emergency Powers?
By Robert Thomas @ 10:51 PM

... Hawai‘i’s statute contains a single major check on the executive’s delegated authority: the “automatic termination” provision ....

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Monday, February 22, 2021
SCOTUS Refuses to Hear Bridge Aina Lea Case
By Robert Thomas @ 4:00 PM

"... If there is no such thing as a regulatory taking, we should say so ...."

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Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Bridge Aina Lea: 9th Circuit Allows Case to go Forward
By Robert Thomas @ 4:42 AM

... The district court's judgment is reversed, case remanded for the merits ....

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Saturday, January 23, 2021
"25 Years of PASH"
By Robert Thomas @ 11:00 AM

... in the PASH case the Hawaii Supreme Court concluded that subject to certain qualifications, the Hawaii Constitution allows native Hawaiians to exercise traditional practices, even on private property ....

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Friday, December 11, 2020
Hawaii Supreme Court And Ineffective Assistance Of Appellate Counsel
By Robert Thomas @ 5:51 PM

... The trial court concluded that indeed, appellate counsel had been ineffective, but also declined to enter any relief because a trial court obviously cannot order the Supreme Court to reconsider ....

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Monday, November 30, 2020
Bridge Aina Lea: US Supreme Court Demands Response from State
By Robert Thomas @ 4:43 AM

... the State hired a DC SCOTUS player to argue that this case isn't worth the Court's time ....

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Friday, September 4, 2020
How Can? U.S. DHS: National Eviction Moratorium
By Robert Thomas @ 3:46 AM

...state and local governments may be breathing a sigh of relief: thanks to this order, the feds have just stepped up to be the defendant in takings lawsuits and to be on the financial hook for any judgments for eviction moratoria (at least in those jurisdictions that have not adopted more protective restrictions)....

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Thursday, August 27, 2020
Bridge Aina Lea: US Supreme Court Urged to Hear Case
By Robert Thomas @ 3:14 AM

 ...'This case is the proverbial 'Exhibit A' of much that is wrong with takings law.'....

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Sunday, July 19, 2020
Bridge Aina Lea Heading to US Supreme Court?
By Robert Thomas @ 12:13 AM

...Cert Petition: "This case is the proverbial 'Exhibit A' of much that is wrong [with takings law]...."

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Monday, July 6, 2020
Unpacking Court Order Denying TRO to Block COVID Emergency Rules
By Robert Thomas @ 7:27 PM

...When the opinion starts this way, you know which way it is headed....

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Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Hawaii AG: For The Hearing At Which I Will Argue That Indoor In-Person Gatherings Are Dangerous, Let's Gather Indoors In-Person!
By Robert Thomas @ 5:15 PM

...the court scheduled a hearing for Thursday, July 2, 2020....

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Friday, June 26, 2020
COVID Suits: One Case Dismissed, Judge Blocks Feds from Other
By Robert Thomas @ 4:39 AM

...The court also ordered plaintiffs to respond to the Governor's virus pre-check program....

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Thursday, June 25, 2020
The Separation of Powers Limitation on Hawaii’s Emergency Authority
By Robert Thomas @ 10:53 PM

...a hard look at the most important limitation on government power in an emergency, the statutory requirement that any emergency proclamation automatically terminates no later than sixty days after it is issued....

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Thursday, June 25, 2020
Will Hawaii COVID Lawsuits be Consolidated?
By Robert Thomas @ 3:54 AM

...Ige yesterday asked the court to consolidate the two cases....

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Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Constitutional Law and States of Emergency: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Robert Thomas @ 11:59 PM

...This is a one-hour program, open to the public....

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Another Hawaii Lawsuit: Coronavirus Orders Violate Right To Travel, Equal Protection, Due Process
By Robert Thomas @ 6:04 PM

...the second complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii challenging the governor's coronavirus shut down orders....

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Thursday, June 11, 2020
Hawaii COVID Lawsuit: Emergency Rules Unconstitutional Beyond 60 Days
By Robert Thomas @ 4:54 AM

..."From day 61 on, the governor is both making laws and enforcing them, in violation of the separation of powers provisions under Hawaii’s state constitution.”....

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Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Petitioner Needs Counsel For Supreme Court Oral Arguments In Due Process Case
By Robert Thomas @ 9:59 AM

...Should the parties be accepted to the Appellate Pro Bono Program, plaintiff may renew his motion for retention of oral argument....

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Monday, May 4, 2020
Supreme Livestream: Maui Water Rights Case
By Robert Thomas @ 10:09 PM

...Hawaii Supreme Court Livestream Oral Argument In Water Rights, Admin Law Case (Tuesday, May 5, 2020, 10am HT)....

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Monday, April 27, 2020
Lahaina Injection Wells: Ad hoc rules and non-exhaustive lists of "factors"
By Robert Thomas @ 3:57 AM

...the usual result is going to be that you run a big risk if you don't get a permit....

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Thursday, April 9, 2020
Safety Dance: Are There Limits To Lockdowns?
By Robert Thomas @ 2:42 AM

...Join us next Tuesday, April 14, 2020, at 12 noon Hawaii Time for a free webinar sponsored by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, "Safety vs. Freedom: Are There Limits to Lockdowns?"....

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Friday, April 3, 2020
Bridge Aina Lea: What Constitutes Loss?
By Robert Thomas @ 12:07 AM

...The opinion also adds to the growing confusion about whether the regulatory takings doctrine deals with use or value....  

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Monday, March 30, 2020
Time For A "Coronavirus Disputes Court?"
By Robert Thomas @ 3:46 AM

...given the magnitude of the potential claims arising out the present situation, one way to bring the takings, commandeering, landlord-tenant, insurance, and other closely-related issues to a quick(er) resolution....

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