Bill > SB284

This bill revises Montana's judicial district laws by consolidating the 10th and 14th judicial districts and adding an additional judge to the 13th Judicial District (Yellowstone County). The bill reduces the total number of judicial districts from 22 to 21 by merging the 10th and 14th districts, which currently have low workloads (0.7 and 0.4 fulltime judges respectively). In contrast, the 13th Judicial District, which covers Yellowstone County, currently has a workload equivalent to 13.9 judges but only 8 full-time judges, justifying the addition of a ninth judge. The bill specifies that if a vacancy occurs in the 10th or 14th districts, the governor will not appoint a new judge, and the remaining judge will serve the newly configured district. For the 13th district, the governor will appoint an additional judge through the standard judicial appointment process, with the first election for this ninth judge to be held in November 2030. The changes to the judicial districts and number of judges will become effective either on passage of the bill or on January 6, 2031, depending on when a vacancy occurs in the affected districts.

Justice

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1049