Opinion ID: 1177818
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Standing of Commissioner Feeney and Defendant Howell

Text: Standing has to do with whether or not the litigant has a legally recognizable interest which the law permits him to assert in the litigation in question. Under Williams, supra, and Gannett, supra, Howell, the defendant in the underlying criminal case, has standing to assert his interest in a closed preliminary hearing. Commissioner Feeney alleges that a district court is unlawfully interfering with the performance of his lawful discretionary duties. He alleges that he is implicitly being threatened with contempt proceedings if he does not yield to the unlawful assertion of authority by the district court. Feeney has a recognizable interest in being able to properly conduct his office, Klose v. Superior Court, 96 Cal. App.2d 913, 217 P.2d 97 (1950); and, therefore, he has standing to bring his petition for a writ of prohibition in this court. The petitions for writs of prohibition are granted, and Commissioner Feeney's closure order is reinstated.