Maui professor sentenced in 2015 telescope protest case
WAILUKU » A professor who was one of 20 people arrested during a protest over the construction of a solar telescope on Maui last year has been ordered to pay a $200 fine for disorderly conduct.
Samuel Kaeo was sentenced Wednesday in connection with the July 2015 protest of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope at the Haleakala summit, The Maui News reported.
Deputy Prosecutor Brandon Segal had sought 15 days jail time for Kaeo, noting that he had been one of the leaders of the demonstration.
But Kaeo’s attorney said the case should be treated as a “simple violation” and that none of the other five protesters, whom he represented, received jail time.
“(This is) another example of individuals attempting to perpetuate change by invoking America’s long tradition of peaceful, nonviolent dissent,” Attorney Hayden Aluli said.
Kaeo, an assistant professor at University of Hawaii Maui College, was found guilty of disorderly conduct earlier this year.
He had been among more than 200 people who tried to stop a convoy of trucks from leaving the Central Maui Baseyard to deliver parts for the telescope. The 20 protesters who were arrested had connected themselves with PVC pipes, tape and chains as they lay on the ground blocking the path of the truckloads.
During his sentencing in Wailuku District Court on Wednesday, Kaeo said he would not apologize to the state or the court for his actions. He only apologized to “my people that we were not able to stop further injury upon us.”
Kaeo, a Native Hawaiian, said protection of Haleakala is part of “our people reclaiming our humanity.”
Judge Blaine Kobayashi said the court acknowledges and respects Kaeo’s expression for his beliefs. However, he maintained that his actions “constituted criminal conduct.”
“The court, frankly speaking, believes that type of conduct is unacceptable under the state of the law at this time,” Kobayashi said.
12 responses to “Maui professor sentenced in 2015 telescope protest case”
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Certainly speaks well for his strong conviction? Sound funny when you read in another thought process?
Peaceful protest on his own time should not be prosecuted. Lucky you live America as most countries would not have permitted what he did. Come to think of it, either would have Kamehameha the Great. The so-called “professor” teaches at basically a junior college and in no way speaks for all or any Hawaiians.
Kaleikoa speaks for me and for many other kanaka maoli seeking to reclaim our humanity. And kudos to him for returning to his aina hanau to teach at the UH Maui College. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 22 years for “violating the law”. Thankfully we have a Maui judge on his oni hanau who gets that speech and assembly need not result in incarceration.
Peaceful protest and violating the law are two different issues. As an assistant professor he should be able to differentiate between the two. What kind of example is he displaying to his students.
Standing up for what you belief is right and pono.
If you are not violating the law that is a true statement. What you believe and what is law aren’t always in alignment. So if there was a violation of the law can this really be called a “peaceful protest?”. I don’t think so.
Agree! It is this kind of prosecution that creates the Trumps
I hope he took vacation time before going up there.
He was there to represent himself as a Kanaka maoli and not a college professor.
So much for academic freedom of speech! Shame on the justice system and UH
The university should do an administrative review to determine if his conviction violates the school’s code of conduct and determine if and what kind of disciplinary action that is be taken…..
to be taken….