Opinion ID: 901335
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Writ of Certiorari Limited Court Review

Text: [¶14.] Since the legislature specified that an appeal to circuit court must be in the form of a petition for a writ of certiorari, the court is limited in its review. The standard of review for a writ of certiorari cannot be extended further than to determine whether the . . . board . . . has regularly pursued the authority of such . . . board. . . . SDCL 21-31-8. In applying this standard of review to a board of adjustment decision, we have recently stated: Our consideration of a matter presented on certiorari is limited to whether the board of adjustment had jurisdiction over the matter and whether it pursued in a regular manner the authority conferred upon it. A board's actions will be sustained unless it did some act forbidden by law or neglected to do some act required by law. Certiorari cannot be used to examine evidence for the purpose of determining the correctness of a finding. . . . Hines v. Board of Adjustment of City of Miller, 2004 SD 13, ¶10, 675 N.W.2d 231, 234 (internal quotations and citations omitted). This appellate procedure departs significantly from the trial de novo and arbitrary and capricious standard of review formerly applied to zoning appeals. See Coyote Flats, L.L.C. v. Sanborn County Comm'n, 1999 SD 87, ¶ 7, 596 N.W.2d 347, 349.