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Posted: Friday, November 2nd, 2012 9:05 AM HST

Federal judge issues mixed ruling on Honolulu rail

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — A federal judge is issuing a mixed ruling on a lawsuit filed by mayoral candidate Ben Cayetano and others to stop the city's rail line. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Wallace Tashima said Thursday the city violated federal law by failing to identify above ground traditional cultural properties before deciding where to build the train line. Tashima says the city also didn't consider building a Beretania Street tunnel and whether the rail project would constructively use a Kakaako park. But the judge didn't find problems with how the city has handled burial sites along the route. He also didn't order the project to stop. Instead Tashima told both sides to submit by the end of the month their arguments for why the project should continue or be stopped.