Opinion ID: 2630864
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Constitutional Privilege

Text: ¶ 5 Smith raises a preliminary matter that, if resolved in his favor, would obviate the need to address any other issue. Accordingly, we address it first. Smith claims that this litigation cannot proceed because, as a state legislator, he enjoys a constitutional immunity to civil process during, and for fifteen days preceding, the legislative session. This privilege is set forth in Article 4, Part 2, Section 6 of the Arizona Constitution, which provides as follows: Members of the Legislature shall ... not be subject to any civil process during the session of the Legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session. ¶ 6 We construe constitutional provisions in light of the purpose of the enactment and the evil sought to be remedied. Ruth v. Indus. Comm'n, 107 Ariz. 572, 575, 490 P.2d 828, 831 (1971). Although there is little history surrounding the passage of Article 4, Part 2, Section 6, [1] this court has noted that a similar provision in the Federal Constitution was designed to avert an arrest, either criminal or civil, that would prevent a legislator from attending session. See Yuma Greyhound Park, Inc. v. Hardy (Steiger), 106 Ariz. 178, 179, 472 P.2d 47, 48 (1970) (citing Long v. Ansell, 293 U.S. 76, 55 S.Ct. 21, 79 L.Ed. 208 (1934), discussing Article 1, § 6 of the United States Constitution); accord State v. Beno, 116 Wis.2d 122, 341 N.W.2d 668, 676 (1984) (noting that the Wisconsin privilege, worded almost identically to Arizona's, is designed to ensure a legislator's availability to represent his constituents). The federal privilege provision has been described as extending to a subpoena ad respondendum, aut testificandum, or a summons to serve on a jury because such seizures of the person would preclude a representative from doing his public duty. Joseph Story, COMMENTARIES ON THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES § 857 (1833). ¶ 7 That rationale does not pertain here. Smith is not defending a suit brought by another. Instead, Smith has invoked the jurisdiction of the courts. On January 24, 2006, for example, Smith filed a petition for review urging this court to accept jurisdiction and reverse the court of appeals' memorandum decision, which affirmed the superior court's judgment that Smith should forfeit his seat in the legislature. Had Smith not invoked the jurisdiction of the courts, the Clean Elections Commission's removal order would have become final on September 8, 2005, [2] and Smith's removal from office would have occurred more than fifteen days before the legislative session began. ¶ 8 A legislator may not seek the court's intercession solely for the purpose of keeping alive a case that would remove him from office, then claim immunity from participating in the very case he has brought. Having participated in the case before the Commission during his last legislative term and lost, and then having instituted suit and appeals in an attempt to overturn the administrative result, Smith cannot claim legislative immunity.