Opinion ID: 901280
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Review of Court Appointed Attorney Fees by Writ of Certiorari

Text: [¶ 2.] Counsel for the judges of the Seventh Judicial Circuit challenges whether this Court has jurisdiction to review the lower court's decision on attorney fees. Counsel claims that this Court's jurisdiction on a writ of certiorari is limited to determining whether a lower court had the power to act and not whether the court's decision was correct. Counsel further argues that the lower court's decision can only be reviewed by direct appeal. Duffy claims that this Court has jurisdiction in the form of a writ of certiorari because the lower court has exceeded its jurisdiction by committing a gross abuse of discretion in disallowing reasonable and just compensation and is, therefore, subject to a writ of certiorari. [3] [¶ 3.] A writ of certiorari is an equitable remedy available when an inferior court exceeds its jurisdiction and there is no writ of error or appeal nor, in the judgment of the court, any other plain, speedy, and adequate remedy. SDCL 21-31-1. The scope of review cannot be extended further than to determine whether the inferior court ... has regularly pursued the authority of such court. SDCL 21-31-8. Other courts have looked at this issue and determined that because of the nature of the claim, a writ of certiorari is the proper procedure to review court appointed attorney fees. Bye v. District Court, 701 P.2d 56, 59 (Colo.1985); Norton v. Iowa Dist. Court for Cedar County, 554 N.W.2d 301, 303 (Iowa App.1996); Green v. Iowa Dist. Court for Mills County, 415 N.W.2d 606, 607 (Iowa 1987). [¶ 4.] A trial court's review of an attorney's fee for a court appointment is collateral to an underlying case. The Rules of Appellate Procedure set forth the types of judgments and orders which can be appealed. SDCL 15-26A-3. In this case, the Order affirming the reduction in fees is not a separately filed case and bears the case number of the criminal cases for which the services were provided. The only category of appeal under which it could conceivably fall is SDCL 15-26A-3(4) as a final order affecting a substantial right, made in special proceedings, or upon a summary application in an action after judgment. Id. [¶ 5.] Yet, limiting review to a direct appeal rather than by writ of certiorari presents its own set of unique circumstances. For example, the court's action in reducing the fee does not start out as a lawsuit in the usual way by one party serving a summons and complaint. Neither the attorney nor the court is a party in the underlying case. The attorney is involved only because the court ordered the attorney to represent the indigent party. When the underlying case is appealed, the attorney fee issue may not be ripe for appeal because the attorney's services have not been completed. Additionally, the attorney on appeal may not be the same attorney that tried the case below. [¶ 6.] The trial court's review of court appointed attorney fees is more in the form of an administrative function collateral to the underlying case. It is unlike other cases which allow a court to award attorney fees as part of the judgment to be paid by the opposing party, such as in a divorce or condemnation action. Court appointed attorney fees are not paid by the opposing party but from the county treasury. The procedures governing the submission, approval and review of attorney fees is set by the presiding judges and is separate from the underlying case. SDCL 23A-40-8, 23A-40-9. [4]