Opinion ID: 1903987
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: whether the county has standing to sue the state regarding an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on behalf of itself and its taxpayers?

Text: ¶ 9. This Court must first address the threshold issue of standing. Quitman County brought this action in its own name and on behalf of its taxpayers. The cause of action at issue is premised upon the claim that the State has breached its constitutional duty to provide effective assistance of counsel to Mississippi's indigent criminal defendants. ¶ 10. The State asserts that Quitman County does not have standing to sue because it is suing on its own behalf upon an ineffective assistance of counsel claim and that [n]o court ... has ever held that the Sixth Amendment protects the rights of anyone other than criminal defendants. Portman v. County of Santa Clara, 995 F.2d 898, 902 (9th Cir.1993). Accord, Kinoy v. Mitchell, 851 F.2d 591, 594 (2d Cir.1988) (holding that the right to counsel creates no rights for the attorney or anyone other than the defendant). Therefore, since Quitman County's complaint named the county board members and the taxpayers only and did not name any person who specifically had been deprived of the effective assistance of counsel, the State claims that Quitman County does not have standing to sue. ¶ 11. It is well settled that Mississippi's standing requirements are quite liberal. Dunn v. Miss. State Dep't of Health, 708 So.2d 67, 70 (Miss.1998); see also Miss. Gaming Comm'n v. Bd. of Educ., 691 So.2d 452-460 (Miss.1997). This Court has explained that while federal courts adhere to a stringent definition of standing, limited by Art. 3, § 2 of the United States Constitution to a review of actual cases and controversies, the Mississippi Constitution contains no such restrictive language. Van Slyke v. Bd. of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, 613 So.2d 872, 880 (Miss.1993) (citing Sosna v. Iowa, 419 U.S. 393, 397-403, 95 S.Ct. 553, 42 L.Ed.2d 532 (1975)). Therefore, this Court has been more permissive in granting standing to parties who seek review of governmental actions. Van Slyke, 613 So.2d at 875. See also Dye v. State ex rel. Hale, 507 So.2d 332, 338 (Miss.1987) (holding state senators had standing to sue Lieutenant Governor on charges that their legislative power had been impinged by his power). In Mississippi, parties have standing to sue when they assert a colorable interest in the subject matter of the litigation or experience an adverse effect from the conduct of the defendant, or as otherwise provided by law. Fordice v. Bryan, 651 So.2d 998, 1003 (Miss.1995); State ex rel. Moore v. Molpus, 578 So.2d 624, 632 (Miss.1991). ¶ 12. Heretofore counties have been permitted to maintain actions against the State to obtain declaratory and injunctive relief against unconstitutional statutes or actions by the state. See, e.g., State v. Miss. Ass'n of Supervisors, Inc., 699 So.2d 1221 (Miss.1997) (Association of Supervisors and counties brought action seeking declaration of unconstitutionality of statutes allowing operators of certain vehicles to apply to Mississippi Department of Transportation rather than counties for permit to operate on non-federal highways); State v. Hinds County Bd. of Supervisors, 635 So.2d 839, 842 (Miss.1994) (county brought action seeking declaration of unconstitutionality of statute setting reimbursement to county for housing of state inmates in county jail). A county may sue and be sued pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 11-45-17 (1972). Also, a suit may be brought in the name of a county, where only part of the county or its inhabitants are concerned, and where there is a public right to be vindicated. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-45-19 (1972). See also Bd. of Trustees v. Van Slyke, 510 So.2d 490, 496 (Miss. 1987) (where standing by individuals and boards is also permitted in Mississippi in any action ... concerning a matter of general public interest....). ¶ 13. Here, the question at hand is whether Quitman County has asserted a colorable interest in the subject matter of the litigation or experienced an adverse effect from the conduct of the defendant. Clearly, Quitman County has asserted a colorable interest in the existing county-based system of indigent defense funding. Quitman County complains that the county-based system results in an inadequate and unconstitutional system of indigent defense. Quitman County is particularly interested in this funding scheme because it, obviously, is a county, and, as such, is the entity which our Legislature has required to provide indigent defense funding. Furthermore, Quitman County has experienced an adverse effect from the State's alleged failure to provide adequate funding for indigent defendants. Quitman County asserts that the county-based system has had devastating consequences for the county's budget, for the taxpayers, for the criminal justice system, and for the indigent defendants. For these reasons, Quitman County has standing to bring this action against the State.