Articles with the Tag: Courts

Montana’s Supreme Court has reaffirmed the state’s longstanding commitment to government transparency, rejecting efforts by lawmakers to conceal the inner workings of the legislative process. The ruling in Saslav v. Howe is a victory for open government advocates and a critical test of the state&...

News from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership MISSOULA — On Feb. 13, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced their Public Land Access webpage, an educational resource for hunters, anglers, and all Americans who take pride in their public lands and are concerned with t...

News from the Montana Judicial Branch HELENA — Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Cory Swanson today announced the appointments of the Chief and Associate Water Judges for the Montana Water Court. Chief Water Judge Russ McElyea retired in 2024 after a long and distinguished career as a water j...

News from Upper Seven Law GREAT FALLS — Today, the Montana District Court in Great Falls ordered the Legislative Services Division to return to its long-held practice of producing legislative documents related to the drafting of a bill to members of the public under the Montana Constitution’...

MONTANA — Concealing the back-channel communications between lawmakers, lobbyists and stakeholders when drafting bills amounts to the Legislature violating the state’s Constitution, a coalition of media outlets including Montana Free Press argued in court Friday.  Appearing before Distric...

Applications, nominations for 20th Judicial District judgeship sought News from the Office of the Governor HELENA  – Governor Greg Gianforte is now accepting applications and nominations to fill a district court vacancy in the Twentieth Judicial District. The chief justice of the Mont...

POLSON — James Phillip Lawrence of Polson pleaded not guilty to felony charges of deliberate homicide and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in the death of Edwin “Ed” Loder of Ronan. Lawrence was arraigned in Lake County District Court on Wednesday, Sept. 18.  Accordin...

Last month the President of the Montana Senate established a select committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform. We were appointed to that committee along with Democrat and Republican legislators and members of the public. Before our first meeting, partisan attacks were leveled at the President and the commit...

HELENA — Montana Senate President Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, is appointing a new committee to address violations of the state’s constitutional separation of powers by the Montana Supreme Court and judicial branch of government.  The only voting members of the Senate Select Committee on ...

Applications, nominations for Twentieth Judicial District vacancy sought   News from the office of Governor Gianforte HELENA — Governor Greg Gianforte is now accepting applications and nominations to fill a district court judge vacancy in the Twentieth Judicial District.  The chie...