Robin v. Concerned Citizens for Better Ed. in St. Bernard, Inc.

Decision Date19 May 1980
Docket NumberNo. 65794,65794
PartiesAugust A. ROBIN v. CONCERNED CITIZENS FOR BETTER EDUCATION IN ST. BERNARD, INC. and Louis Riess, Registrar of Voters for St. Bernard Parish.
CourtLouisiana Supreme Court

Manuel A. Fernandez, Law Office of Manuel A. Fernandez, Chalmette, for plaintiff-respondent; William P. Schuler, Chalmette, of counsel.

Gibson Tucker, Jr., Tucker & Schonekas, New Orleans, for defendants-applicants.

BLANCHE, Justice.*

On August 24, 1979, plaintiff filed a petition for injunction alleging that he was a member of the St. Bernard Parish School Board and that the defendant, Concerned Citizens for Better Education in St. Bernard, Inc., had published and was circulating a petition seeking his recall as a member of said Board. The unlawful conduct sought to be enjoined was the activity of the defendant, Concerned Citizens, its officers and members from obtaining signatures on the recall petition by means of fraud, deceit and misrepresentation of facts.

After a hearing on the rule, the trial court issued a preliminary injunction which restrained the defendant from "pursuing the recall of August A. Robin, through fraudulent means and misrepresentation." After the aforesaid judgment, and after writs were denied by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, but prior to relator's application to this Court, Act No. 148 of 1979 became effective on September 7, 1979. That Act, which is now found in LSA-R.S. 42:341, et seq., is the controlling provision of law relative to recall petitions, and provides that prior to the entering of any signature on a petition, the chairman designated to represent the petitioners shall file a copy of the recall petition which will be used with the Registrar of Voters for each parish in which the recall election is to be held, and with the Secretary of State. The signed and dated petition shall be submitted not later than 180 days after the day on which the copy of the petition was filed.

Respondent maintains that the facts which gave rise to the instant suit accrued under the old law, and the failure of the relator to perfect his petition by the effective date of the new act renders this action moot. Relator claims to have brought his petition into compliance with the new act on September 7, 1979, but he admits that as of that date, there were not enough signatures to effect a recall. Additionally, respondent submits that the ills he sought to remedy in his injunction suit have been remedied by the provisions of Act No. 148 of 1979.

Respondent has no objection to those signatures obtained after September 7, 1979 because these must now be obtained in compliance with the new act. Therefore, the only conflict...

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    ...relief or effect. Cat's Meow, 98–0601 at 8, 720 So.2d at 1193 (citing Robin v. Concerned Citizens for Better Ed. in St. Bernard, Inc., 384 So.2d 405, 406 (La.1980)). If the case is moot, then “ ‘there is no subject matter on which the judgment of court can operate.’ ” [2011-0009 (La. 16] St......
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