The Hawaii Supreme Court has ruled 4-1 that Ruth Forbes, a former warden at Kulani Correctional Facility on Hawaii island, was wrongfully terminated in 2015 by the then-Department of Public Safety.

Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald and Associate Justices Sabrina McKenna, Todd Eddins and Vladimir Devens decided in Forbes’ favor on Wednesday. The lone dissenter was Justice Lisa Ginoza.

The high court’s decision overturns rulings by a 1st Circuit judge and the state Intermediate Court of Appeals that the Merit Board of Appeals, or MAB, overstepped its authority when it modified Forbes’ firing by Nolan Espinda, the late former DPS director, and chose instead to suspend her for 60 days for allegations made by subordinates.

According to the majority opinion written by Devens, the MAB “was well w

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