Court Opinion

ID: 9792983
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:40:23.971581+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:02:11.309116
License: Public Domain

ELLETT, Justice
(concurring).
I concur in dismissing the appeal. There was no order made after judgment affecting the substantial rights of the State, nor did the defendant make a motion to quash the information or indictment. In fact, there was no information or indictment to be quashed. The defendant was tried under a complaint; and since complaints had been in use long prior to the statute in question, one would think that by omitting complaint from subsection (1) of Section 77-39-4, U.C.A.1953 (cited in the main opinion), the legislature did not intend to permit an appeal to be taken by the State even when the court quashes a complaint.
It may be that the trial judge was in error in finding the defendant not guilty because he thought the statute was invalid. However, that does not give the State a right to appeal.
If the State fears similar rulings in the future, I suppose it could cause a declaratory judgment action to be filed by the Board of Parks and Recreation in a proper case and thus have a ruling on the validity of the statute.