HILO, Hawaii – Mauna Kea Anaina Hou’s request for continuance on submissions was denied during a pre-hearing conference for the Thirty Meter Telescope contested case in Hilo on Friday.

Hearing officer Judge Riki May Amano said no good cause has been set forth to push the hearing back to August 19.

Richard Naiwieha Wurdeman, attorney for Mauna Kea Anaina Hou and the original hui of petitioners, previously stated that after making repeated requests, the state has not furnished him with all of the documents.

“My clients should not be deprived of a full and fair opportunity to fairly litigate in these proceedings and be deprived of due process of law,” Wurdeman argued in his filed motion, “because of continued and inexcusable delays by the Department of the Attorney General and the Chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.”

The University of Hawaii at Hilo opposed the motion, saying Wurdeman requests “are yet another instance of attempts designed solely to delay this proceeding. There is no legitimate basis to extend the deadlines previously set or grant any continuances for two weeks, or otherwise indefinitely, as he proposes.”

Lawyers for the Thirty Meter Telescope also said the Mauna Kea Anaina Hou requests are “meritless and their continued delay efforts should not be condoned by this Hearings Officer.”

NOTE: This is one part of a multi-part video series documenting the numerous motions ruled on by Judge Amano during the August 5, 2016 pre-hearing conference. The full video collection is here.