Opinion ID: 2524957
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Propriety of Mandamus

Text: The Kansas Constitution provides this court with original jurisdiction for proceedings in mandamus. Kan. Const. Art. 3, § 3. In addition, K.S.A. 60-801 provides: Mandamus is a proceeding to compel some inferior court, tribunal, board, or some corporation or person to perform a specified duty, which duty results from the office, trust, or official station of the party to whom the order is directed, or from operation of law. This court also has recognized mandamus as an appropriate avenue to obtain an authoritative interpretation of the law for the guidance of public officials in their administration of public business. Wilson v. Sebelius, 276 Kan. 87, 90, 72 P.2d 553 (2003). Also, although a district judge's discretion cannot be controlled by mandamus, if the judge's order threatens to deny a litigant a right or privilege that exists as a matter of law and there would be no remedy by appeal, mandamus may be invoked. Hulme v. Woleslagel, 208 Kan. 385, 388, 493 P.2d 541 (1972). This court may also exercise its original jurisdiction and settle a question through mandamus if the petition presents an issue of great public importance and concern. Wesley Medical Center v. Clark, 234 Kan. 13, 16, 669 P.2d 209 (1983). Respondent Kline does not deal directly with these authorities, instead continuing to assert that mandamus must be limited to situations in which a public official has failed to perform a clear legal duty. We agree that such a situation is appropriate for our intervention via mandamus, but mandamus also can be pursued in the situations described by the Wilson, Hulme, and Wesley Medical Center cases cited above. In our view, the situation before us here fits each of those precedents. It is evident from the questions Judge Anderson submitted to this court that he seeks an authoritative interpretation of the law to guide him in his performance of his judicial responsibilities. In addition, petitioners are correct in their contention that, if Judge Anderson's order is allowed to stand as is, and it is later determined that it relied upon an erroneous interpretation of the law, there will be no sufficient remedy on appeal for patients whose rights to privacy have already been violated. And, finally, no one can argue convincingly that the questions of whether and when a pregnant woman's constitutional right to privacy in her reproductive choices must give way to public regulation of abortion is not an issue of great public concern. The issue of abortion has long had a polarizing effect on national and state politics and policies. Although some may lament this fact, they cannot deny it. Kline also argues that allowing petitioners to obtain relief through mandamus will thwart his investigation. We disagree. Petitioners do not seek to stop the entire investigation. Rather, at this stage of the proceeding, they appear to insist only that their patients' privacy rights must be balanced with the State's compelling need for information relevant to the criminal investigation. See King v. State, 272 Ga. 788, 791-92, 535 S.E.2d 492 (2000) (State's use of subpoena for compelling interest of enforcing criminal laws must be narrowly tailored to make certain equally compelling constitutional right of privacy is not unreasonably impacted). Kline next argues that this action should be dismissed because petitioners seek injunctive relief and because the issues raised are not ripe for review. He is correct that this court does not have original jurisdiction to issue injunctive relief, see Dean v. State, 250 Kan. 417, 427, 826 P.2d 1372, cert. denied 504 U.S. 973 (1992); Collins v. York, 175 Kan. 511, Syl. ¶ 2, 265 P.2d 313 (1954), but this is not the remedy petitioners seek. They do not assert that the inquisition should be enjoined. At least by the time of oral argument before this court, they acknowledged the State's legitimate law enforcement interest and sought only to have their patients' rights weighed appropriately against it. As for ripeness, Kline emphasizes that the district court has not yet had an opportunity to review the medical records in camera. This is unpersuasive, because, as Judge Anderson's order now stands, a physician or physicians selected solely by the attorney general would be permitted to participate in that review. The attorney general's post-oral argument position recognizes the competing interests at stake, acknowledging the district judge should select the reviewing physician or physicians. It also demonstrates that the ripeness argument is without merit. Finally, even if mandamus is hypothetically appropriate, Kline argues that there is no constitutional or statutory basis for this extraordinary judicial intervention and that such intervention would do violence to the prosecutorial function and the separation of powers. The attorney general is correct that prosecution of crime is an executive function. See State v. Compton, 233 Kan. 690, 698, 664 P.2d 1370 (1983); State, ex rel., v. Rohleder, 208 Kan. 193, 194-95, 490 P.2d 374 (1971). And this court is mindful of its obligation to respect our state constitution's separation of powers among the three branches of government. See State v. Beard, 274 Kan. 181, 185, 49 P.3d 492 (2002). However, Kline's separation of powers argument is otherwise unpersuasive. He fails to cite any authority supporting the idea that courts cannot review requests for subpoenas in inquisitions. The statutory language, i.e., K.S.A. 2004 Supp. 22-3101, clearly supports that power in the courts. Moreover, Kline admits that courts are required to prevent abuse of the judicial process by prosecutors. See State ex rel. Cranford, 230 Kan. at 800-01. In view of the foregoing, we hold that mandamus is the appropriate avenue for relief, if petitioners are able to demonstrate that relief is merited. See State, ex rel., v. Salome, 169 Kan. 585, 595, 220 P.2d 192 (1950) (burden on mandamus petitioner).