Court Opinion

ID: 9784330
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 20:42:44.251969+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:35:53.314523
License: Public Domain

Chief Justice TROUT,
concurring in result.
While I concur in the result reached by the Court’s opinion, I cannot join in the Court’s analysis of the issue presented in this case. In my view, it is unnecessary for this Court to decide whether the State Insurance Fund is a state agency for the purposes of this ease. Rather, I would decide this case under the clear terms of the contract between the Attorney General’s office and Kelso and Irwin. Under the express terms of the contract, the Attorney General could terminate Kelso’s contract at any time, for any reason. Therefore, it is not necessary for this Court to determine whether a sufficient conflict of interest existed to justify Kelso’s termination under the conflicts clause of the contract.
Even if such an analysis were required, I believe a sufficient conflict existed in this case, regardless of the State Insurance Fund’s status as a state agency. According to the contract, a representative of the Attorney General’s office, such as Kelso and Irwin, is prohibited from suing any entity represented by the Attorney General. While the contract provision names only the State of Idaho, its officers and agencies, the clear import of this provision is that anyone represented by the Attorney General, whether by statute or agreement, cannot be sued by an attorney also acting as a representative of the Attorney General’s office. Clearly, in this case, the State Insurance Fund is represented by the Attorney General, whether it is a state agency or not. Under the clear terms of the contract, Kelso cannot sue the State Insurance Fund while also under contract with the Attorney General’s office. Therefore, the Attorney General was justified in terminating the contact with Kelso, and there is no reason to address the issue of *378whether the State Insurance Fund is a state agency under these circumstances.