Court Opinion

ID: 7823894
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 18:02:35.159595+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:48.601674
License: Public Domain

Darrell Hickman, Justice, concurring. My remarks are in no way intended to cast any shadow on the reputation of counsel for the appellees or any other lawyer or firm for that matter. I believe this is a test case. If it is not, then I apologize. It is not an uncommon practice, especially in cases concerning government bonds, for counsel, as a condition of approving a bond issue, to seek a court decision on the legality of the bond issue. Two recent bond issue cases were undoubtedly test cases. See Cortez v. Independence County, 287 Ark. 517, 678 S.W.2d 291 (1985); Murphy v. Epes, 283 Ark. 517, 678 S.W.2d 352 (1984). In Murphy, counsel for the appellant announced that he was pleased he “lost” the case. Test cases are also filed on other financial legal questions. See Winkle v. Grand National Bank, 267 Ark. 123, 601 S.W.2d 559 (1980). Speaking from what I have heard, or what is common knowledge, in a test case, a party and a lawyer are found who are willing to cooperate as “adversaries.” Sometimes the suit is called a “friendly” lawsuit. I cannot say whether it is a common practice for the legal briefs of both sides to be prepared by one lawyer or not (the one bringing the test case), nor can I say whether the other lawyer is paid for his work. The practice probably varies. In this case both briefs are identical and appear to have been printed or typed at the same place. We do not give advisory opinions as some states do, so test cases and friendly lawsuits have become a way to get a court decision in Arkansas before action is taken by interested parties. I have no particular quarrel with the practice. Our legal system is based on the ádvocacy system where each party employs an attorney to present his case in the best possible light, the result hopefully being a fair resolution of the question. A test case is different; it invariably seeks a favorable predetermined answer to a question. Both sides are not independent and one side stands to lose nothing. All the bond decisions that led to the abusive issuance of revenue bonds were probably test cases. Our decisions, which until Purvis v. Hubbell, 273 Ark. 330, 620 S.W.2d 282 (1981), went along with every deviation from the Arkansas Constitution, might not have been the same if both this court and the public were fully aware of the circumstances of the test cases. What should we do? Try to prevent the practice? Probably not. We could, as an ethical and procedural consideration, require the lawyers to divulge whether or not the case is a test case. It might be we would not consider such cases res judicata. See Bailey v. Harris Brake Fire Protection Dist., 287 Ark. 268, 697 S.W.2d 916 (1985). At the very least test cases need to come out of the closet so we can see them for what they are. Steele Hays, Justice, dissenting. On the basis of what is presented by this appeal, I would affirm the Chancellor, as the appellant has failed to overcome the strong presumption of constitutionality due legislative enactments. I believe the Chancellor was right to hold that changes effected by Act 280 of 1985, are not so substantial as to require another vote by the general public. I do not know what to make of the change in the ceiling on the interest rate purportedly provided in Act 280, as neither side has discussed it. I would ask the parties to brief that point or would limit our holding to the issues presented.