Montana Supreme Court Decisions
Seven justices serve on the Montana Supreme Court, which reviews appeals directly from district courts. There is no intermediate appellate court in the state. The Supreme Court also reviews appeals from the workers’ compensation and water courts. It must review any case that is appealed from any of these courts. In other words, it does not have discretion to decide whether to review a case. The Montana Supreme Court also holds original jurisdiction over writs of habeas corpus and cases that have not yet reached the district courts in which the dispute is entirely legal rather than factual. It has a constitutional mandate to oversee the operations of lower courts in the state. The Court must issue each of its decisions in writing, and any justice who dissents from the decision must issue a written dissenting opinion.
Each justice on the Supreme Court serves an eight-year term. A candidate to serve on the Court must be a U.S. citizen who has been a resident of Montana for at least two years. They also must have been admitted to practice law in Montana for at least five years. While they are serving on the Supreme Court, they must continue to reside in Montana. Candidates run in a general non-partisan election, and a justice may run for reelection when their term expires. If no opponent challenges the reelection of a justice, they will need to win a retention election to stay on the Court.
The Governor of Montana may appoint an interim justice if a vacancy arises in the middle of a term. This process starts when the Montana Judicial Nominating Commission provides the Governor with a list of three to five nominees. The Governor has 30 days to choose a nominee from this list, or otherwise the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will make the decision. The Montana Senate must confirm the appointment. The interim justice then must run in the next general election after they have been appointed to stay on the Court.
- 2025 (60)
- 2024 (336)
- 2023 (255)
- 2022 (256)
- 2021 (329)
- 2020 (335)
- 2019 (298)
- 2018 (323)
- 2017 (352)
- 2016 (392)
- 2015 (428)
- 2014 (392)
- 2013 (431)
- 2012 (363)
- 2011 (368)
- 2010 (631)
- 2009 (707)
- 2008 (499)
- 2007 (384)
- 2006 (358)
- 2005 (360)
- 2004 (402)
- 2003 (390)
- 2002 (364)
- 2001 (327)
- 2000 (413)
- 1999 (351)
- 1998 (340)
- 1997 (369)
- 1996 (323)
- 1995 (379)
- 1994 (336)
- 1993 (430)
- 1992 (342)
- 1991 (323)
- 1990 (385)
- 1989 (360)
- 1988 (363)
- 1987 (360)
- 1986 (373)
- 1985 (322)
- 1984 (367)
- 1983 (283)
- 1982 (343)
- 1981 (310)
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- 1978 (161)
- 1977 (249)
- 1976 (204)
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- 1974 (149)
- 1973 (166)
- 1972 (135)
- 1971 (96)
- 1970 (61)
- 1969 (85)
- 1968 (94)
- 1967 (77)
- 1966 (74)
- 1965 (82)
- 1964 (54)
- 1963 (88)
- 1962 (58)
- 1961 (54)
- 1960 (81)
- 1959 (79)
- 1958 (58)
- 1957 (93)
- 1956 (24)
- 1955 (38)
- 1954 (45)
- 1953 (38)
- 1952 (54)
- 1951 (44)
- 1950 (51)
Recent Decisions From the Montana Supreme Court
Date: March 25, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 53
Docket Number: DA 22-0226
Justia Opinion Summary: Bradley Hillious was charged with deliberate homicide for the death of his wife, Amanda, who was found unresponsive at the bottom of a staircase and later died from strangulation and blunt-force injuries. Prior to trial,…
Date: March 25, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 58
Docket Number: DA 23-0354
Justia Opinion Summary: Leroy Charles was initially charged with aggravated assault, criminal endangerment, and aggravated kidnapping. He pled guilty to an amended charge of criminal endangerment in exchange for the dismissal of the other…
Date: March 25, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 55
Docket Number: DA 24-0194
Justia Opinion Summary: Nicholas Guthneck was hired by Qlarant Integrity Solutions, LLC, a Maryland company working on federally funded contracts, as a health fraud investigator in September 2020. He worked remotely from Montana. In response to…
Date: March 25, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 56
Docket Number: DA 24-0235
Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, Glacier County taxpayers, alleged that the County and its Commissioners unlawfully made expenditures or disbursements of public funds or incurred obligations in excess of total appropriations, violating…
Date: March 25, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 54
Docket Number: DA 24-0351
Justia Opinion Summary: On September 10, 2022, a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper stopped Kyler Austin Clinkenbeard for speeding. The Trooper detected alcohol on Clinkenbeard’s breath, and Clinkenbeard admitted to drinking three beers. He failed…
Date: March 25, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 57
Docket Number: DA 24-0382
Justia Opinion Summary: A mother and father, who were never married, have one child together, A.H.S., born in February 2018 in San Diego, California. The mother is from Brazil, and both she and the child are dual citizens of Brazil and the…
Date: March 25, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 60N
Docket Number: DA 24-0480
Date: March 18, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 51
Docket Number: DA 23-0519
Justia Opinion Summary: Loren Dean Raver was pulled over while driving a stolen Ford F-150 and subsequently arrested. The truck's owner, Stacie Grandpre, confirmed that she did not know Raver and had not given him permission to drive her truck.…
Date: March 11, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 46
Docket Number: DA 24-0263
Justia Opinion Summary: Thomas Joseph Brennan was charged with four counts of felony sexual assault and one count of felony sexual abuse of children. His 14-year-old stepdaughter, A.H., disclosed that Brennan habitually entered her bedroom to…
Date: March 11, 2025
Citation: 2025 MT 50N
Docket Number: DA 24-0401
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