Opinion ID: 1353929
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: quo warranto and supervisory authority

Text: Quo warranto is a writ of very ancient origin, dating back to the earliest days of the common law. Its original purpose was to inquire into the legality of the claim of one who purported to have the right to enjoy and exercise a particular office granted by the Crown. See Quo Warranto in Missouri, 1972 WASH. U.L.Q. 751. Its function remains basically the same today, to oust a usurper from the exercise or enjoyment of an office or franchise. Sec. 531.010. The powers of a lower court to grant quo warranto are now set out in section 531.010 and Rule 98. See State ex inf., McKittrick v. Murphy, 347 Mo. 484, 148 S.W.2d 527, 530 (1941) (noting codification of quo warranto ). The attorney general contends that section 531.010 authorizes the filing of this quo warranto action requesting the Circuit Court of Osage County to issue its writ ousting Cole County Circuit Court Judges Kinder and Brown from exercising authority over the four receivership funds existing in the registry of Cole County. Therefore, he argues, the trial court erred in holding that it had no authority to direct Judges Kinder and Brown as to how to administer the receivership funds. Section 531.010 on its face does appear to permit the attorney general to ask a circuit judge of one county to oust a usurper to the office of circuit judge of another, adjoining county, for it states in relevant part: In case any person shall usurp, intrude into or unlawfully hold or execute any office or franchise, the attorney general of the state, ... shall exhibit to the circuit court, or other court having concurrent jurisdiction therewith in civil cases, an information in the nature of a quo warranto.... If such information be filed or exhibited against any person who has usurped, intruded into or is unlawfully holding or executing the office of judge of any judicial circuit, then it shall be the duty of the attorney general of the state, ... to exhibit such information to the circuit court of some county adjoining and outside of such judicial circuit, and nearest to the county in which the judge so offending shall reside. (emphasis added). The attorney general says section 531.010 applies here, for he alleges that the judges are exercising control over money that should be in the treasury and, therefore, they are usurping the treasurer's office. His argument is incorrect for two reasons. First, the attorney general necessarily admits that the funds that he claims should be in the treasury are funds that were paid into court and that for at least five years were legitimately the subject of a receivership and were properly under the supervision of respondent judges. He merely claims that the judges then were required by statute to report and turn the funds over to the treasurer after five years. Whether or not his allegations of a duty to pay over the funds are correct, it is clear that he is not claiming that respondent judges have usurped, intruded into or are unlawfully holding or executing the office of judge, but rather that they are improperly continuing to exercise control over funds that were once properly under their supervision but which, the attorney general alleges, should now be under the jurisdiction of the treasurer. This Court has long held that such allegations are not an appropriate subject for an action in quo warranto, but rather must be raised, if at all, by means of a writ of mandamus or prohibition. [3] This is because: The writ of quo warranto is not a substitute for mandamus or injunction nor for an appeal or writ of error. It is not to be used to prevent an improper exercise of power lawfully possessed. Its purpose is solely to prevent an officer or a corporation or persons purporting to act as such from usurping a power which they do not have. McKittrick, 148 S.W.2d at 530. This Court continued: In a case of quo warranto, if the constitution or a statute in conformity therewith intrusts an officer with the performance of a certain governmental function and he proceeds to perform that function [347 Mo. [at] 492] in a manner contrary to law, there is no usurpation and quo warranto will not lie, but where the officer steps entirely outside the scope of his authority to exercise a function which neither the constitution nor the statute has intrusted to him, the remedy by quo warranto is available. Id. at 531. In other words, quo warranto is only available to deal with usurpation of power not possessed; prohibition or mandamus is the appropriate remedy where, as here, the basis of the allegation against respondent judges is really that they have illegally or improperly used powers granted to them. Id. at 530-531. Second, even were an extraordinary writ available to deal with the wrongful exercise of power alleged by the attorney general, it could not be sought in a circuit court of concurrent jurisdiction, as was attempted here. While the final sentence of section 531.010 does state that one circuit court can exercise such authority over another judge of an adjoining circuit, this grant of power clearly violates article V, section 4(1) of the Missouri Constitution, which provides: The supreme court shall have general superintending control over all courts and tribunals. Each district of the court of appeals shall have general superintending control over all courts and tribunals in its jurisdiction. The supreme court and districts of the court of appeals may issue and determine original remedial writs. Supervisory authority over all courts is vested in the supreme court which may make appropriate delegations to this power. (emphasis added). In seeking to reconcile section 531.010 with this constitutional provision, this Court is mindful that an act of the legislature carries a strong presumption of constitutionality. Home Builders Ass'n of Greater St. Louis v. State, 75 S.W.3d 267, 269 (Mo. banc 2002). This Court will not invalidate a statute unless it clearly and undoubtedly contravenes the constitution and plainly and palpably affronts fundamental law embodied in the constitution. Smith v. Coffey, 37 S.W.3d 797, 800 (Mo. banc 2001), quoting, In re Marriage of Kohring, 999 S.W.2d 228, 231 (Mo. banc 1999). Nonetheless, if a statute conflicts with a constitutional provision or provisions, this Court must hold the statute invalid. State ex rel. Upchurch v. Blunt, 810 S.W.2d 515, 516 (Mo. banc 1991). In particular, a statute cannot expand the Osage County Circuit Court's or any court's jurisdiction beyond that permitted by the constitution. For this reason, in In re Rules of Circuit Court for Twenty-First Judicial Circuit, 702 S.W.2d 457 (Mo. banc 1985), this Court invalidated a statute that purported to set out certain rules governing circuit courts and presiding judges, stating: While we are cognizant of the power the legislature is granted by Mo. Const. art. V, sec. 5 to `annul or amend in whole or in part' our rules of practice and procedure, this does not include the power to interfere with this Court's `superintending control of all courts and tribunals' as is provided in Mo. Const. art. V, sec. 4.1 and our rules made pursuant thereto. Id. at 459. [4] These principles are applicable here. Article V, section 4(1) of the Constitution of Missouri provides that the Supreme Court has general superintending control over all courts, and each district of the court of appeals has superintending control over the circuit and other courts within its district, subject to the general supervisory authority of the Supreme Court. Article V provides that no other court is permitted to exercise supervisory or superintending authority over circuit courts unless that power is specifically delegated to it by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has not delegated supervisory power over circuit courts to any lower court. The Circuit Court of Cole County is a lower court within the western district of the Missouri Court of Appeals. The Circuit Court of Cole County and the judges thereof are therefore subject only to the superintending jurisdiction of this Court and the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. Mo. CONST. art. V, sec. 4(1). The Circuit Court of Osage County, where the attorney general filed suit, is not this Court, nor is it the Court of Appeals, Western District, nor, indeed, is it even located in the western district of the Court of Appeals. [5] Under the constitution, then, the Circuit Court of Osage County cannot exercise jurisdiction over the Circuit Court of Cole County or the judges thereof. For these reasons, insofar as the final sentence of section 531.010 purports to give a circuit judge of one county authority to issue a quo warranto against a circuit judge of an adjoining county, it is in conflict with article V, section 4(1) and is void as an unconstitutional delegation to adjoining circuit courts of powers reserved to this Court and the court of appeals. Affirmed. LIMBAUGH, C.J., WHITE, BENTON and LAURA DENVIR STITH, JJ., and SMITH, HOWARD and BRECKENRIDGE, Sp.JJ., concur. WOLFF, PRICE and TEITELMAN, JJ., not participating.