Opinion ID: 3013317
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Importance of the Standing Doctrine

Text: The Supreme Court has recently reminded the federal courts of the importance of the standing doctrine. In remonstrating several Courts of Appeals for proceeding to an easily-resolved merits question despite jurisdictional objections, a practice referred to as creating “hypothetical jurisdiction,” the Court stated that: Much more than legal niceties are at stake here. The statutory and (especially) constitutional elements of jurisdiction are an essential ingredient of separation and equilibration of powers, restraining the courts from acting at certain times, and even restraining them from acting permanently regarding certain subjects. For a court to pronounce upon the meaning or the constitutionality of a state or federal law when it has no jurisdiction to do so is, by very definition, for a court to act ultra vires. Steel Company, 523 U.S. at 101-2 (citations omitted). As is clear from the District Court’s opinion, which focuses almost exclusively on the state law challenges to the Ordinance, and the Storinos’ failure to allege a violation of their federal constitutional rights, this is primarily a state law case. An action challenging a municipal ordinance on substantive and procedural state law grounds is normally brought in state court where the judges have greater expertise in resolving such an action. The standing doctrine, derived from the “case or controversy” requirement in Article III of the United States Constitution, 11 is intended to preserve the separation of powers between the coordinate branches of the federal government. And in this case, it also serves to preserve and protect the principle of dual sovereignty. There is much at stake in the task of ensuring proper jurisdictional bases for each and every claim — particularly when courts are called upon to review a state or local legislative enactment. The Supreme Court has noted that “zoning laws and their provisions, long considered essential to effective urban planning, are peculiarly within the province of state and local legislative authorities. They are, of course, subject to judicial review in a proper case. But citizens dissatisfied with provisions of such laws need not overlook the availability of the normal democratic process.” Warth, 422 U.S. at 508 n. 18. That is not to say that we will not exercise proper jurisdiction over such matters, but only that we will exercise care in determining that our jurisdiction is, in fact, proper.