Opinion ID: 1177818
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Is Prohibition the Proper Vehicle to Obtain Review by This Court of the District Court's Action?

Text: We conclude that the extraordinary writ of prohibition is the proper way to obtain review by this court of the district court's intervention in the pretrial hearing. We said in Williams, supra: ... The function of a writ of prohibition is to prevent action and not to undo that which has already been done... . 589 P.2d at 324. In the instant matter, Feeney asks us to prohibit the district court from interfering in his decision-making function. We think this a proper area in which prohibition should function. We also said in Williams, supra: ... It is also important to note and emphasize that, other than in exceptional or extraordinary circumstances, the writ of prohibition is only available if the lower court does not have subject-matter jurisdiction or, having such jurisdiction, it exceeds the scope thereof. State ex rel. Weber v. Municipal Court of the Town of Jackson, Wyo., 567 P.2d 698, 699 (1977). 589 P.2d at 324. The writ of prohibition in this case meets the test since we have held that the issuance by the district court of its writ of mandamus against Commissioner Feeney was in excess of its subject-matter jurisdiction.