Court Opinion

ID: 9622913
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:25:00.351161+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:21.419678
License: Public Domain

CAMERON, Justice,
dissenting:
Our Constitution specifically provides when a recall election shall be held. Ariz. Const. Art. 8 pt. 1 § 3 provides:
If he [the officer being recalled] shall not resign within five days after a Recall Petition is filed as provided by law, a *368special election shall be ordered to be held as provided by law, to determine whether such officer shall be recalled.
The duty to order a recall election is based upon the determination of the sufficiency of the recall petitions and is mandatory. Abbey v. Green, 28 Ariz. 53, 59, 235 P. 150, 153 (1925). In this ease, Governor Evan Mecham did not resign and an election was properly called.
The recall provisions in the Constitution under Art. 8 pt. 1 §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 set up procedures not only for the removal of public officers, but also for the election of their successors. The Constitution contemplates that a recall election will be held even if the officer being recalled has his name removed from the ballot. See Ariz. Const. Art. 8 pt. 1 § 4 (“Unless he otherwise request, in writing, his name shall be placed as a candidate on the official ballot without nomination.”)
In the instant case, Evan Mecham’s name was removed from the recall ballot by operation of law since, after the recall petitions had been filed, he was impeached and removed from office. Because Evan Mecham has been removed from office by way of impeachment, he is not eligible for election to the office of Governor during the term of office for which he was originally elected and from which he was removed. See Coleman v. Rose, 74 Kan. 262, 86 P. 296 (1906); Childs v. Dart, 57 Minn. 261, 59 N.W. 190 (1894); State ex rel. Danforth v. Alford, 467 S.W.2d 55 (Mo. banc 1971); Gelch v. Rhode Island, 482 A.2d 1204 (R.I.1984); Thompson v. Crump, 134 Tenn. 121, 183 S.W. 505 (1915); accord People v. Ahearn, 196 N.Y. 221, 89 N.E. 930 (1909); Recall Bennett Committee v. Bennett, 196 Or. 299, 249 P.2d 479 (1952).
In this case, Arizona law required the position of Governor be filled by the designated line of succession as found in Ariz. Const. Art. 5 § 6 only if the candidate who has won the recall election fails to qualify. See Art. 8 pt. 1 § 4 (“In the event that his successor shall not qualify within five days after the result of said election shall have been declared, the said office shall be vacant, and may be filled as provided by law.”)
The Constitution does not require that the recall election be cancelled if the officer subject to recall is removed from office, or otherwise had his name removed from the ballot. Instead the Constitution provides that after such election, the office of Governor is filled by law under Art. 5 § 6 only if the successful candidate in the recall election fails to qualify.
Art. 8 pt. 1 § 4 is consistent with Art. 5 § 6 which states:
In the event of the death of the Governor, or his ... removal from office ..., the Secretary of State, if holding by election, shall succeed to the office of Governor until his successor shall be elected and shall qualify.
Thus, even though the Secretary of State, Rose Mofford, has succeeded to the office of Governor, she holds such office only temporarily until the Governor’s successor is elected. In this case, the recall election is merely a special midterm election which would fill the vacancy created by Evan Mecham’s removal from office.
Arizona’s recall provision is for benefit of the public rather than the officials, and thus its language should be construed liberally in favor of permitting recall elections. Johnson v. Maehling, 123 Ariz. 15, 18, 597 P.2d 1, 4 (1979). As the Washington court recently stated, “the rights of initiative, referendum, and recall form a weighty triumvirate intended to preserve the people’s most basic right of self-goverance and any interference with these rights requires strong justification.” Pederson v. Moser, 99 Wash.2d 456, 460, 662 P.2d 866, 869 (1983). I agree.
The majority opinion states: “There [is] no purpose to be served by the recall election.” This “finding” by the majority is not a justification for this court to deviate from the clear mandate of our Constitution. Once the recall process has properly begun, this court has no power to stop such election regardless of whether we believe “no purpose wilt be served” by such an election. The recall provision in our constitution is intended as a reservation in the *369people of the power to recall any official without judicial interference. See Groditsky v. Pinckney, 661 P.2d 279, 282 (Colo.1983). The people should have the opportunity to select a new Governor as provided for by the recall provisions in the Arizona Constitution. I, therefore, respectfully dissent.