Opinion ID: 1930886
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: II-B The second action (Cohen, et als v. Wentworth, et al)

Text: This second action instituted by Herman Cohen and ten other resident taxpayers of the Town of Kennebunk sought: (1) to restrain holding of the election imminently scheduled for January 22, 1975, and (2) on the assumption that the election would be stopped, to enjoin the School Board from issuing another warrant for another school construction bond election pending reapportionment of the Board. As to the claim of illegality predicated on malapportionment of the Board, plaintiffs have made such contention without alleging or proving themselves to be duly qualified voters of SAD No. 71. Hence, as elaborated concerning the first action (ante, p. 390), plaintiffs must be held to be claiming a malapportionment causing them no special damage. They are, therefore, without standing to be awarded any form of remedial relief and may have an adjudication on the malapportionment question only if a finding of malapportionment would entitle them to the preventive relief they seek. The same is true of plaintiffs' claim of fatal defects in the warrant calling the election of January 22, 1975 since, as to such illegality, plaintiffs have sustained no special damage but share only such injury as the illegality would cause all of the resident taxpayers of the Towns of Kennebunk and Kennebunkportthe two municipalities constituting SAD No. 71. With the standing of plaintiffs thus denying them right to any remedial relief including such remedial relief as would nullify the election already held and invalidate the legal effectiveness of the voter approval produced by the election,and since it is in the nature of things that this Court cannot prevent events which have already occurred, the issue of restraining the election of January 22, 1975 is moot. See: LaFleur ex rel. Anderson v. Frost, 146 Me. 270, 80 A.2d 407 (1951). [5] Furthermore, the holding of the election and the approval of the voters produced by it have now rendered hypothetical and academic the question of whether the Court should enjoin the issuance of future warrants calling future elections. Since plaintiffs lack standing to be granted remedial relief by which this Court might set aside the election held on January 22, 1975 and vacate the legal effect of the voter approval achieved in that election, whether other bond issue elections should be held in the future is a question lacking the current pragmatic vitality to render it justiciable. A decision of such issue, here, would be an advisory opinion by this Court in a context in which it lacks jurisdiction for the purpose. See: LaFleur ex rel. Anderson v. Frost, supra . Since the issues presented to us by the appeal in the second action, Cohen, et als v. Wentworth, et als, are thus either moot or beyond this Court's jurisdiction to decide, that appeal must be dismissed.