Opinion ID: 1722837
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: was mandamus a proper means of compelling the commissioner to perform his duties under la.r.s. 40:1299.44(b)?

Text: La.Code Civ.P. art. 3861 defines mandamus as a writ directing a public officer or a corporation or an officer thereof to perform any of the duties set forth in arts. 3863 and 3864. A writ of mandamus may be directed to a public officer to compel the performance of a ministerial duty required by law. La.Code Civ.P. art. 3863. A writ of mandamus may be issued in all cases where the law provides no relief by ordinary means or where the delay involved in obtaining ordinary relief may cause injustice. La.Code Civ.P. art. 3862. [23] It is well settled that mandamus will lie to compel performance of prescribed duties that are purely ministerial and in which no element of discretion is left to the public officer. There must be a clear and specific legal duty which ought to and can be performed. State ex rel. Hutton v. City of Baton Rouge, 217 La. 857, 47 So.2d 665 (1950); Blanchard v. Brown, 388 So.2d 865 (La.App. 1st Cir.), writ denied, 386 So.2d 919 (La.1980). We consider that La.R.S. 40:1299.44(B)(2)(a) imposes in clear and unequivocable terms purely ministerial duties upon the commissioner. When he refused to perform these duties and appealed devolutively, not suspensively, the claimant had no recourse but to request the issuance of a writ of mandamus, compelling the commissioner to perform the duties set forth in La.R.S. 40:1299.44(B)(2)(a). The commissioner argues that mandamus is improper because it orders him to execute against state funds in violation of La. Const. art. XII, § 10(C), which states: Procedure; Judgments. The legislature shall provide a procedure for suit against the state, a state agency, or a political subdivision. It shall provide for the effect of a judgment, but no public property or public funds shall be subject to seizure. No judgment against the state, a state agency, or a political subdivision shall be exigible, payable, or paid except from funds appropriated therefor by the legislature or by the political subdivision against which judgment is rendered. Even assuming that the fund is a state agency and that the monies appropriated for payment of medical malpractice claims are state funds, we do not consider that a writ of mandamus ordering the commissioner to expend the funds violates La. Const. art. XII, § 10(C). The state legislature has specifically authorized a procedure in La.R.S. 40:1299.44(B) to provide for the payment of a final judgment against the fund. Hence, the constitutional mandate would be satisfied if the fund were a state agency and/or if the monies were state funds. For the reasons stated above, we cannot say that the trial judge erred in granting the writ of mandamus.