Opinion

State Ex Rel. Olson v. Thompson

  • 248 N.W.2d 347
  • 1976 N.D. LEXIS 169
Court
North Dakota Supreme Court
Filed
Dec 5, 1976
Status
Published
Author
Pederson
On the bench
Paulson, Pederson, Vogel, Erickstad, Sand
Cited by
8 cases

The opinion

PEDERSON, Justice

(concurring in part).

I concur in the quashing of the writs issued by the judge of the district court of Burleigh County. I do not concur in all that is said about what kinds of things are idle acts. However, I agree that no one should be commanded to perform idle acts. This court engages in an idle act when it commands a board over which it has no jurisdiction (the State Board of Canvassers) to meet and to take any corrective action.

Because § 47 of the North Dakota Constitution must be superimposed upon all statutes assigning tasks to either the executive or the judicial branch of government, in a legislative election contest, only those functions which expedite or facilitate the legislative determination are not idle acts.

*357 If the State Board of Canvassers decides voluntarily to meet and if it recognizes that the legislature will not need any more certifications to show that there is an election contest, then the State Board of Canvassers will conclude that it is not necessary that such board do anything because it would only be an idle act.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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