Case Title: Skurdal v. State By and Through Stone

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: wyoming

Court: Wyoming Supreme Court

Date: 1985-11-06T00:00:00Z

Document:
Skurdal v. State By and Through Stone1985 WY 182708 P.2d 1241Case Number: 84-123Decided: 11/06/1985RODNEY O. SKURDAL, APPELLANT (PLAINTIFF), 

v. 

THE STATE OF WYOMING, ACTING BY AND THROUGH THE CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT, KAY STONE; DEPUTY CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT, JULIE STAHNKE; CAMPBELL COUNTY TREASURER, SHIRLEY STUDY; COUNTY ATTORNEY, MR. HILDERBRAND; WYOMING STATE AUDITOR, MR. JAMES GRIFFITH, APPELLEES (DEFENDANTS).
Supreme Court of Wyoming
RODNEY O. SKURDAL, 
APPELLANT (PLAINTIFF), 

v. 

THE STATE OF WYOMING, 
ACTING BY AND THROUGH THE CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT, KAY STONE; DEPUTY CLERK 
OF THE DISTRICT COURT, JULIE STAHNKE; CAMPBELL COUNTY TREASURER, SHIRLEY STUDY; 
COUNTY ATTORNEY, MR. HILDERBRAND; WYOMING STATE AUDITOR, MR. JAMES GRIFFITH, 
APPELLEES (DEFENDANTS).

 
 
November 6, 1985. 
Petition Demanding a Rehearing in the Interest of Justice Denied December 16, 
1985.

 
 
Appeal from the District 
Court, CampbellCounty, Terrence L. O'Brien, 
J.

 
 
Rodney O. 
Skurdal, pro 
se.

A.G. McClintock, 
Atty. Gen., Allen C. Johnson, Sr. Asst. Atty. Gen., and Patrick J. Crank, Legal 
Intern, for appellees (defendants) 
The State of Wyoming and Mr. James Griffith.

Thomas D. 
Roberts of Morgan, Brorby, Price & Roberts, Sp. Counsel for Campbell County 
Com'rs, Gillette, for appellees 
(defendants) Kay Stone, Julie Stahnke, Shirley Study, and Mr. 
Hilderbrand.

Before THOMAS,1 C.J., ROONEY,2 BROWN and CARDINE, JJ., and ROSE, 
J., Retired.

1 Became Chief Justice on 
January 1, 1985.

2 Chief Justice at time of 
oral argument.

ROSE, Justice, Retired.3

3 This case was originally 
assigned to Chief Justice Thomas on November 5, 1984 for the rendering of a 
proffered majority opinion. No such opinion being forthcoming, it was reassigned 
to Justice Rose on July 30, 1985. Justice Rose distributed a proffered opinion 
to the court on September 3, 1985.

[¶1.]     In perhaps the most 
frivolous appeal ever filed here, the record reveals that appellant Skurdal, who 
appeared pro se before this court, was issued drafts by the State of Wyoming in payment of 
Worker's Compensation claims and some minor property damage. Skurdal refused to 
accept paper dollars when he attempted to cash the draft because he claims he 
has a right to be paid in gold or silver. However, if he must be paid in other 
than gold and silver, Skurdal claims, the State owes him 32 paper dollars for 
each dollar designated on the face of the check. Skurdal bases his ratio upon 
the price (in terms of paper dollars) of a silver Olympic coin series. In 
addition, appellant asks that this court declare the United States 
government's printing of paper money to be 
unconstitutional.

Trial Court 
Disposal

[¶2.]     After a hearing on a 
motion to dismiss, the trial judge dismissed the complaint, holding that his 
court was without jurisdiction to entertain the challenge to the federal 
government's authority to print money, and that the complaint failed to state a 
claim upon which relief could be granted. Skurdal has appealed from this 
order.

The Questions for 
Decision

[¶3.]     The only questions 
which are properly before us are those which ask whether the trial court erred 
in dismissing the complaint on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction to 
declare congressional acts unconstitutional by reason of its authority under the 
Wyoming Governmental Claims Act, § 1-39-117(a), W.S. 1977, 1983 Cum.Supp., and 
whether the court erred in holding that the complaint failed to state a claim 
upon which relief could be granted.

[¶4.]     We take special note of 
the fact that appellant has failed to present any relevant authority to support 
his contentions that the district court erred in dismissing his 
complaint.

The 
Decision

[¶5.]     In support of his 
contention that the court below had jurisdiction to declare unconstitutional the 
federal government's authority to print paper money, the appellant relies on the 
Wyoming Governmental Claims Act, §§ 1-39-101 through 1-39-119, W.S. 1977, 1983 
Cum.Supp. That Act, among other things, allows the State to be sued for various 
torts committed by public employees in different situations and provides for 
Wyoming 
district court jurisdiction of any claim which falls within the contemplation of 
the Act. Section 1-39-117(a), W.S. 1977, 1983 Cum.Supp. The Wyoming Governmental 
Claims Act does not and cannot confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of 
Wyoming to 
settle such claims as those described in this appeal, and we therefore hold that 
the trial court properly granted defendant's motion to dismiss the claim of this 
appellant.

[¶6.]     Appellant relies on no 
authority other than that contained in the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act to 
support his contention that the trial court had jurisdiction to hear his 
complaint, and his reliance upon the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act does not 
supply the cogent argument and citation of authority required by Rule 5.01(4), 
W.R.A.P. We have on numerous occasions said that we will not consider arguments 
not properly supported by adequate and relevant authority. Zanetti v. Zanetti, Wyo., 689 P.2d 1116, 
1123 (1984); Osborn v. Manning, Wyo., 
685 P.2d 1121, 1124 (1984); Herman v. 
Speed King Manufacturing Company, Wyo., 675 P.2d 1271, 1278-1279 (1984); Holding's Little America v. Board of County 
Commissioners of Laramie County, Wyo., 670 P.2d 699, 703 
(1983).

[¶7.]     Mr. Skurdal also sought 
to be paid 32 federal reserve notes for every "dollar" he was to receive from 
his Worker's Compensation benefit checks. The Worker's Compensation statute 
provides that the injured employee shall receive two-thirds of his actual 
monthly rate of pay as temporary total disability benefits. Section 
27-12-402(a), W.S. 1977. Skurdal has not shown, or even alleged, that the 
payment of his salary was tendered and received in gold and silver rather than 
federal reserve notes, and, therefore, we are unable to see how tendering him 
two-thirds of the amount he had received as salary in the form of federal 
reserve notes can be considered as an erroneous tender. Furthermore, so long as 
the federal reserve notes Mr. Skurdal received to replace his damaged personal 
property were adequate for that purpose, he cannot have a valid complaint. In 
short, we agree with the trial court that the complaint was properly dismissed 
for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be granted, according to 
Rule 12(b), W.R.C.P.

[¶8.]     Appellees have asked 
this court to award to them as part of the cost in this matter a reasonable sum 
as and for attorney's fees and penalty pursuant to Rule 10.05, W.R.A.P. That 
rule requires in a civil case, when the judgment or order is affirmed, that 
unless this court

"* * * certifies that 
there was reasonable cause for the appeal, there shall also be taxed as part of 
the costs in the case, a reasonable fee, to be fixed by the court, not less than 
one hundred dollars * * * to the counsel of the appellee * 
*."

We rarely refuse 
to certify that there was reasonable cause for appeal, but we will refuse to do 
so in an appropriate case. Reno Livestock 
Corporation v. Sun Oil Company (Delaware), 
Wyo., 638 P.2d 147 (1981); Osborn v. Warner, Wyo., 694 P.2d 730 
(1985).

[¶9.]     We cannot certify that 
there was reasonable cause for appeal in the case at bar. Other courts have also 
held that challenges to the use of federal reserve notes to pay debts were 
clearly frivolous. See Lepucki v. Van 
Wormer, 765 F.2d 86 (7th Cir. 1985). Since we cannot certify that there was 
reasonable cause for appeal, we must tax to appellant a reasonable fee of not 
less than $100. See Nix v. Chambers, 
Wyo., 524 P.2d 589 (1974).

[¶10.]  The clerk of court is directed to tax the 
appellant, as part of the costs in this case, a fee of $100. There will be no 
penalty assessed.

[¶11.]  Affirmed.