No. 25-1044

Princess Azizi Kuulei Kaiama v. United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2026-03-04
Status: Pending
Type: Paid
Tags: federal-question-jurisdiction international-law land-title-dispute mandamus native-hawaiian-sovereignty removal-jurisdiction
Latest Conference: N/A
Question Presented (from Petition)

Whether the Native Hawaiian citizens of the Kingdom of Hawaii are entitled to remove a land title dispute from State court to federal court on the basis of federal question jurisdiction when the dispute amounts to, in essence, an international dispute between the laws of the United States gov ernment (and any State established thereunder, including, but not limited to, Hawaii) and the laws of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Whether the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii erred in entering an order to remand the case back to the Supreme Court of Hawaii. The District Court Judge's reasoning for remanding the case back to the State court was due to his deter mination that Petitioner failed to adequately establish the basis for removal of the action to federal court by not identifying, among other things, the legal support for federal question jurisdiction as the basis justifying removal of the action to federa l court.

Whether the Ninth Circuit erred in summarily dismissing Petitioner's Writ of Mandamus challenging the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii's Order remanding the case back to the Supreme Court of Hawaii. The Ninth Circuit's panel of Ju dges determined that Petitioner had not demonstrated a clear and indisputable right to the extraordinary remedy of mandamus, pursuant to In re Mersho , 6 F.4 th 891, 897 (9th Cir. 2021).

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether Native Hawaiian citizens of the Kingdom of Hawaii are entitled to remove a land title dispute from state court to federal court based on federal question jurisdiction when the dispute involves an international dispute between United States law and Kingdom of Hawaii law, and whether the District Court and Ninth Circuit erred in remanding the case and dismissing the mandamus petition

Docket Entries

2025-12-29
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due April 3, 2026)

Attorneys

Princess Azizi Kuulei Kaiama
Alexander McKenzie GilesTydings & Rosenberg, Petitioner