Opinion ID: 2588178
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Interest-injury standing

Text: The Keller plaintiffs alternatively argue that they had interest-injury standing to sue. To establish interest-injury standing plaintiffs must demonstrate that they have a sufficient personal stake in the outcome of the controversy [25] and an interest which is adversely affected by the complained-of conduct. [26] The degree of the injury need not be great: an identifiable trifle is sufficient to establish standing to fight out a question of principle. [27] The Keller plaintiffs contend that their complaint articulates an `identifiable trifle' sufficient to confer standing, but they do not specify what their actual injury was. In a section of their brief unrelated to the issue of standing, the Keller plaintiffs contend that they and Alaskans face damaged reputations if the investigation continues. They do not develop this argument further, and in oral argument on appeal asserted only that they had citizen-taxpayer standing. It is not self-evident that the investigation was likely to cause the Keller plaintiffs any sort of harm, nor was the nature of any possible harm so self-evident that we must take judicial notice of it. Any claim of interest-injury standing based on reputational harm is not adequately briefed and is therefore waived on appeal. [28] The Keller plaintiffs also seem to argue that they have interest-injury standing because the subpoenaed plaintiffs in the consolidated case had interest-injury standing. But the standing of the Kiesel plaintiffs does not confer standing on the Keller plaintiffs. Each party's standing is evaluated independently, and one party's standing does not confer standing on another. [29] Because the Keller plaintiffs allege no plausible injury to their own interests, they lack interest-injury standing. Given the Keller plaintiffs' lack of standing to bring this suit, we do not consider whether it was error for the superior court to hold that the Keller plaintiffs' complaint raises nonjusticiable political questions.