Opinion ID: 2174689
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: should the writ of prohibition be denied as moot since the acts sought to be prohibited have already occurred?

Text: A writ of prohibition is an extraordinary remedy. S.D. Bd. of Regents v. Heege, 428 N.W.2d 535, 537 (S.D.1988). It may issue upon a showing that a public officer is acting or is about to act without or in excess of his jurisdiction, or without or in excess of the authority conferred by law. SDCL 21-30-1. It may be issued in a direct application to this Court in appropriate circumstances. Art. V, § 5 of the South Dakota Constitution; Heege, supra . It is required that an applicant for a writ of prohibition must show that he or she has no plain, speedy and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law available to them. SDCL 21-30-2. Corbly v. Matheson, 335 N.W.2d 347, 348 (S.D.1983). If there is another plain, speedy and adequate remedy at law or in equity, equally available to an applicant, this Court has held it will not issue a writ of prohibition. Brandon Savings Bank v. Swanson, 54 S.D. 95, 222 N.W. 660, 661 (1928); Gilmore v. Sandy, 50 S.D. 247, 209 N.W. 342 (1926). The Governor has the legal authority to fill the vacancies pursuant to Art. V, § 7 of the South Dakota Constitution. He states that he has done so and that there remain no acts on his part for this Court to prohibit. [3] He argues that once Severson and Caldwell qualify for office pursuant to SDCL 3-4-7, they will become judges on February 1, 1993, pursuant to their appointment. [4] In State ex rel. Hellier v. Vincent, 20 S.D. 90, 104 N.W. 914 (1905) this Court determined that once an appointment is made by the appropriate authority, it is final or exhausted and cannot be withdrawn and exercised again unless a subsequent vacancy arises. In Burke v. Schmidt, 86 S.D. 71, 191 N.W.2d 281, 284 (1971) we noted that this doctrine specifically applies to circuit court appointments by the Governor pursuant to what is now Art. V, § 7 of our Constitution and its statutory counterpart, SDCL 3-4-3. This Court has generally held that it will not issue a writ of prohibition where the public official has already completed the acts sought to be prohibited. The case before us is one in prohibition.... The thing sought to be prohibited has been done, and cannot be undone by any order of court.... Any adjudication which this court might make would be only an ineffectual decision of the question whether or not these petitioners were wronged by what has been fully accomplished. Under those circumstances there is nothing but a moot case remaining, and the motion to dismiss must be sustained. Williamson v. Herseth, 78 S.D. 476, 477, 104 N.W.2d 473 (1960), quoting Jones v. Montague, 194 U.S. 147, 153, 24 S.Ct. 611, 612, 48 L.Ed. 913 (1904). See also Sioux Falls Argus Leader v. Young, 455 N.W.2d 864, 867-8 (S.D.1990); Church of Scientology v. U.S., ___ U.S. ___, ___, 113 S.Ct. 447, 449, 121 L.Ed.2d 313, 319 (1992). However, as noted in Young, supra, and prior cases, this Court has not applied the mootness doctrine in exceptional circumstances. The basis for this exception is: The decision as to whether to retain a moot case in order to pass on a question of public interest lies in the discretion of the court and generally a court will determine a moot question of public importance if it feels that the value of its determination as a precedent is sufficient to overcome the rule against considering moot questions. Wheeldon v. Madison, 374 N.W.2d 367, 378 (S.D.1985), quoting Stanley County School v. Stanley County Ed. Ass'n, 310 N.W.2d 162, 163 (S.D.1981). To invoke this public interest exception, three criteria must be met: (1) a general public importance; (2) probable future recurrence; and (3) probable future mootness. Young, supra, 455 N.W.2d at 868 n. 2; Sedlacek v. S.D. Teener Baseball Program, 437 N.W.2d 866, 868 (S.D.1989). The issue before this Court is a question of general public importance. On February 1, 1993, Severson and Caldwell will begin to preside, along with their judicial colleagues, over two judicial circuits which contain nearly one-third of the state's population. The power which the people of this state have entrusted to a circuit court judge affects the people's lives, welfare and property to no small extent. The second criteria is probable future recurrence. We take judicial notice that similar appointments have been made in the past. There is no reason to believe that they will not occur again. The Governor, by vigorously denying he has acted improperly, is clearly reserving his right to proceed in the same manner in the future. The third criteria is probability of future mootness. The Applicants are in a Catch 22 situation. They do not know the Governor's choices until his selections are publicly announced. Simultaneously the Governor can file the appropriate papers with the Secretary of State, thus always making his actions moot by the time his choices are made public. We conclude that the public interest exception applies and we are prepared to address the issue of residency on the merits despite the fact that as to the appointments of Severson and Caldwell, the Governor's actions are moot. [5]