Opinion ID: 2431454
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: New election

Text: As we held recently in Binns v. Heck, supra , and in Phillips v. Earngey, supra , there is no statutory or other authority for a trial court to direct an election commission to call a new election after an invalid previous election. We held in both cases that, for the court to direct an election commission to do so would confer a power that does not exist and establish a remedy only the General Assembly may create. Cases in which we have held certiorari appropriate when an error appears on the face of the record include Bates v. McNeil, 318 Ark. 764, 888 S.W.2d 642 (1994) (order of body attachment or arrest without opportunity to be heard); Casement v. State, 318 Ark. 225, 884 S.W.2d 593 (1994) (denial of appeal bond in accordance with statute superseded by rule); and Midwest Buslines, Inc. v. Munson, 274 Ark. 108-A, 622 S.W.2d 187 (1981) (issuance of a temporary restraining order without ordering expeditious hearing as required by rule). In view of our decisions in Binns v. Heck, supra , and Phillips v. Earngey, supra , the error in this case of ordering the Phillips County Election Commission to hold a new election was clear on the face of the record, and issuance of certiorari is thus warranted unless, of course, an appeal would suffice. Justices of the peace are elected every two years. Ark. Const. art. 7, § 38. The election ordered was to supplant one held in 1994. We are now well into the second year of the term of office for which the election was to be held. By the time an appeal could be decided, the 1996 election would be upon us. Certiorari is proper in this circumstance. We grant the writ to the extent of setting aside the order commanding the Phillips County Election Commission to hold a new election to fill the justice of the peace positions at issue. Writ of certiorari granted in part and denied in part. DUDLEY, GLAZE and CORBIN, JJ., not participating. ERIC W. BISHOP, RONALD L. BOYER, and CONSTANCE G. CLARK, Special Justices, join the opinion.