Articles with the Tag: Courts

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...

“This is unconstitutional” has become a frequently used phrase intended to subvert the logic and rational understanding of the Montana Constitution. When improperly applied, it perverts the intended checks and balances of our three-branch state government system. If a person, group, or political ...

News from the Montana Wildlife Federation HELENA — Today, the Montana Supreme Court denied Governor Greg Gianforte’s request to stay a District Court order requiring that the Legislature be given an opportunity to vote on whether to override the Governor’s veto of SB 442. Earlier in...

HELENA — On Tuesday, March 5, Governor Gianforte was denied his latest attempt to circumvent the Montana Legislature’s authority when the Lewis and Clark District Court upheld a January court order, requiring his veto of Senate Bill 442 to go before the Legislature for a possible veto override vo...

A state district court judge in Yellowstone County has ruled that three Republican-backed abortion restrictions passed in 2021 are unconstitutional, delivering another blow to conservatives who support limiting when and how Montanans can terminate pregnancies and a win for advocates of reproductive rights. ...

News from Rylee Somers-Flanagan, Upper Seven Law HELENA — On Jan. 23, the Montana Quality Education Coalition and Disability Rights Montana challenged House Bill 393 (“HB 393”) — or Montana’s new private education voucher program — for violating the Montana Constituti...

Editor, As retired Montana judges, we join to endorse Judge Dan Wilson of Flathead County in his bid for election to the Montana Supreme Court. This year, Montanans will elect two new Justices to our state’s highest court. Chief Justice Mike McGrath and Associate Justice Dirk Sandefer have announced...