Opinion ID: 2570177
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Great Public Importance Doctrine

Text: {33} It is clear that this Court can confer standing and reach the merits of a case regardless of whether a plaintiff meets the traditional standing requirements, based on a conclusion that the questions raised involve matters of great public importance. See Kirkpatrick, 86 N.M. at 363, 524 P.2d at 979 ([I]t has been clearly and firmly established that even though a private party may not have standing to invoke the power of this Court to resolve constitutional questions and enforce constitutional compliance, this Court, in its discretion, may grant standing to private parties to vindicate the public interest in cases presenting issues of great public importance.). Though such cases conferring standing have generally arisen in the context of our original jurisdiction in mandamus, we have exercised our discretion to resolve the constitutionality of a statutory amendment on appellate review. See Cobb v. State Canvassing Bd., 2006-NMSC-034, ¶¶ 38-39, 140 N.M. 77, 140 P.3d 498. Those cases deemed by this Court to raise issues of great public importance typically have involved clear threats to the essential nature of state government guaranteed to New Mexico citizens under their Constitutiona government in which the three distinct departments, ... legislative, executive, and judicial, remain within the bounds of their constitutional powers. State ex rel. Coll v. Johnson, 1999-NMSC-036, ¶ 21, 128 N.M. 154, 990 P.2d 1277 (quoted authority omitted). We have also granted standing in election cases implicating the guarantee of free and open elections under Article II, Section 8 of the New Mexico Constitution. See, e.g., Gunaji v. Macias, 2001-NMSC-028, 130 N.M. 734, 31 P.3d 1008. {34} Viewed in light of our precedent, the instant case does not raise the kind of questions that this Court has deemed to be of great public importance such that we would elect to confer standing when it is not otherwise present. The question of whether the Ordinance violates due process by allowing forfeiture of a vehicle based only on an arrest does not implicate the integrity of state government, in terms of separation of powers, or the state's definition of itself as a sovereign. Forest Guardians, 2001-NMCA-028, ¶ 35, 130 N.M. 368, 24 P.3d 803 (quoted authority omitted). Rather, as noted by the Court of Appeals, [t]his case involves nothing more than a potential violation of certain specific citizens' due process rights, and therefore does not rise to the level of a clear threat to the essential nature of government. Id. We would be hard pressed to distinguish in any principled way the effects of this Ordinance from any other governmental activity that allegedly threatens to take property in violation of due process of law, but without already having done so. The issues raised by Plaintiffs, though certainly serious and of constitutional magnitude, involve questions of due process that are best addressed in the context of a specific case after enforcement of the Ordinance. See Baca, 2002-NMSC-017, ¶ 3, 132 N.M. 282, 47 P.3d 441 (quoting Jolley v. State Loan & Inv. Bd., 38 P.3d 1073, 1078 (Wyo.2002), for proposition that [t]he doctrine of great public interest or importance should be applied cautiously); State ex rel. Overton, 81 N.M. at 33, 462 P.2d at 618 (As desirable as it may be to have our opinion on questions of public importance as soon as possible, it is always dangerous to function in the abstract. We must avoid ill-defined controversies over constitutional issues. (quoted authority omitted)). Therefore, we decline to confer standing and reach the merits of this case.