Opinion ID: 1700831
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Can Weger maintain a declaratory judgment action against individual members of the AQB, challenging the legality of their holding office and the legality of their actions?

Text: Weger has also brought this action against four members of the Air Quality Board in their official capacity seeking their removal, declaring their positions vacant, and declaring void all actions taken by the AQB during the term of those four individuals. This court has held in a long line of cases that quo warranto is a proper method to determine the issue of title to a public office. Cummings v. Mickelson, 495 N.W.2d 493 (S.D.1993); Burns v. Kurtenbach, 327 N.W.2d 636 (S.D.1982); State ex rel. Rearick v. Bd. of Commr's of Lyman County, 34 S.D. 256, 145 N.W. 548 (1914); State ex rel. Pryor v. Axness, 31 S.D. 125, 139 N.W. 791 (1913); State ex rel. Walkins v. Shanks, 25 S.D. 55, 125 N.W. 122 (1910); State ex rel. McGee v. Gardner, 3 S.D. 553, 54 N.W. 606 (1893). We have departed from this rule only in instances of exceptional circumstances of an emergency nature involving the public interest of the entire state or a good portion of it. Cummings, 495 N.W.2d at 498. See also Cummings, 495 N.W.2d at 504 (Henderson, J., concurring in part; dissenting in part) and Cummings, 495 N.W.2d at 507 (Sabers, J., dissenting.) Weger fails to establish any justification for relief via a declaratory judgment action rather than proceeding in quo warranto. While the maintenance of a quo warranto action requires certain special interests on the part of the applicant for the writ, we do not determine whether Weger meets this standard. Weger raised the issue of the legal status of the individual members of the AQB for the first time on appeal at oral argument. Failure to brief the matter supported by case or statutory authority constitutes a waiver of that issue. Tjeerdsma v. Global Steel Bldgs., Inc., 466 N.W.2d 643, 644 n. 2 (S.D.1991). Thus, the Order of Dismissal as to the members of the Air Quality Board is also affirmed. MILLER, C.J., and SABERS, AMUNDSON, and KONENKAMP, JJ., concur.