Guam - Superior Court Judge Arthur Barcinas found that the Government of Guam has standing to pursue a lawsuit against Helene Torres and Evelyn O'Keefe for the return of government land. KUAM News brought you the story back in February - for the last three years, the government has been pursuing a judicial review of a deed that was given to Torres and O'Keefe, who are the co-administratrixes of the estate of Jose Martinez Torres.

The estate, through its attorneys, managed to get more than 250 acres of land from the Guam Ancestral Lands Commission after claiming the families' land had been unjustly withheld from them. The board approved the conditional deed on the caveat that the estate would seek a court's review about their claims of past injustices.  The family in turn sold 250 acres of the land to a Korean investor for $19 million. 

$6 million has been distributed but the Attorney General's Office was able to get a restraining order for the remaining $13 million. Attorneys for the two women and the estate moved for dismissal.

With the decision the judge will now act on the motion for summary judgment and if that is denied, then the case will proceed to trial.