MATTER OF RULES ON DISQUALIFICATION

Annotate this Case

Download PDF

I N THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE O M N A A F OTN RE: RULES O THE SUPREME COURT: F O R D E R ;.,j&At: . -%, j ch. . . , . L . ; ' Cz, .,: f apftey t)F"REIME CO',a:i"i PER CURIAM: P u r s u a n t t o t h e power p l a c e d i n t h i s C o u r t by A r t i c l e VII, S e c t i o n 2 , of t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n o f t h e S t a t e of Montana, t h e Court h a s u n d e r t a k e n a s t u d y w i t h r e f e r e n c e t o t h e d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n and s u b s t i t u t i o n of judges. The C o u r t now p r o p o s e s t o adopt t h e following r u l e : F DISQUALIFICATION AND SUBSTITUTION O JUDGES Any j u s t i c e , judge, or j u s t i c e o f t h e p e a c e m2st n o t sit o r a c t i n any a c t i o n o r p r o c e e d i n g : 1. To which he i s a p a r t y , o r i n which he i s i n t e r e s t e d ; 2. When he i s r e l a t e d t o e i t h e r p a r t y by c o n s a g u i n i t y o r a f f i n i t y w i t h i n t h e s i x t h d e g r e e , computed a c c o r d i n g t o t h e r u l e s o f law; 3. When he h a s been a t t o r n e y or c o u n s e l f o r e i t h e r p a r t y i n t h e a c t i o n o r p r o c e e d i n g , o r when he r e n d e r e d or made t h e judgment, o r d e r o r d e c i s i o n a p p e a l e d from; 4. I n a d i s t r i c t c o u r t , when a motion f o r a s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge h a s been f i l e d , I n a c i v i l c a s e , each adverse p a r t y i s e n t i t l e d t o t w o s u b s t i t u t i o n s o f a judge. In a criminal case, t h e s t z t e and e a c h d e f e n d a n t i s e n t i t l e d t o one s u b s t i t u t i o n of a j udqe . A motion f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge s h a l l be made by f i l i n g a w r i t t e n motion f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n r e a d i n g a s f o l l o w s : "The undersigned hereby moves f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n o f a n o t h e r judge f o r Judge i n t h i s cause." The c l e r k o f c o u r t s h a l l immediately g i v e n o t i c e t h e r e o f t o a l l p a r t i e s and t o t h e judge named i n t h e motion. Upon f i l i n g t h i s s a i d n o t i c e t h e judge named i n t h e motion s h a l l have no f u r t h e r power t o a c t i n t h e c a u s e o t h e r t h a n t o c a l l i n a n o t h e r judge, which he s h a l l do f o r t h w i t h , and t o s e t t h e c a l e n d a r . When a, c a s e i s f iLed i.n a m u l t i - j u d g e d i s . t . r i c t , it slza3.l be t h e d u t y o f t h e c l e r k o f c o u r t t o stamp t h e name o f t h e judge to which t h e c a s e i s a s s i g n e d on t h e f a c e of t h e summons, o r d e r t.o show c a u s e , o r informat.iorl and a l l c o p i e s t . h e r e o f . whenever a judge i s a s s i g n e d a c a s e f o r t e n c o n s e c u t i v e d a y s and t h e a t t o r n e y s of r e c o r d on b o t h s i d e s have knowledge of t h e assignment f o r t h a t p e r i o d of t i m e , and i f d u r i n g t h i s t i m e no motion f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n o f a judge i s f i l e d a g a i n s t him, a11 r i g h t s t o move f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n o f a judge s h a l l be deemed waivecl by a l l p a r t i e s , u n l e s s t h e p r e s i d i n g judge d i s q u a i i f i e s himself t h e r e a f t e r i n which c a s e t h e r i g h t t o move f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge i s r e i n s t a t e d and t h e t e n day p e r i o d s t a r t s r u n n i n g anew, Whenever a n a c c e p t a n c e of j u r i s d i c t i o n i s f i l e d by a new judge i t s h a l l be t h e d u t y of t h e c l e r k of c o u r t , f o r t h w i t h , t o m a i l a copy t h e r e o f by c e r t i f i e d m a i l w i t h r e t u r n r e c e i p t r e quested, t o a l l a t t o r n e y s of record. S e r v i c e t h e r e o f may a l s o be made by d e l i v e r y of a copy p e r s o n a l l y , o r by g e t t i n g a writzt-en r e c e i p t from t h e a t t o r n e y s t h e r e f o r , Proof of s e r v i c e , however made, s h a l l be s t a p l e d t o t h e a c c e p t a n c e of j u r i s d i c t i o n , so served, i n s a i d f i l e , 5 % In a justice" o o u r t , when e i t . h e r p a r t y makes an% f i l e s an a f f i d a v i t t h a t he c a n n o t have a E a i r and i m p a r t i a l t r i a l b e f o r e such j u s t i c e , by r e a s o n o f the i n t e r e s t , prejudice o r b i a s of t h e j u s t i c e . Each a d v e r s e p a r t y i s e n t i t l e d t o f i l e one such c l i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n in. a c i v i l o r criminal case. When such a d i s q u a l i f y i n g a f f i d a v i t i s f i l e d , t h e justice named s h a l l have no f u r t h e r power t o a c t i n t h e c a s e , o t h e r t h a n t o c a l l i n a n o t h e r j u s t i c e from t h e same c o u n t y , o r from an a d j o i n i n g c o u n t y i f t h e r e i s no o t h e r j u s t i c e a v a i l a b l e i n t h e same c o u n t y , t o h e a r t h e c a s e . 6- When he h a s been d i s q u a l i f i e d f o r c a u s e a s h e r e i n a f t e r described : Whenever a p a r t y t o any p r o c e e d i n g i n any C o u r t makes and f i l e s a t i m e l y and s u f f i c i e n t a f f i d a v i t t h a t a judge o r j u s t i c e of t h e peace b e f o r e whom t h e m a t t e r i s pending h a s a p e r s o n a l b i a s o r p r e j u d i c e e i t h e r a g a i n s t him o r i n f a v o r of any a d v e r s e p a r t y , such judge o r j u s t i c e of t h e p e a c e s h a l i proceed no f u r t h e r t h e r e i n , b u t a n o t h e r judge o r j u s t i c e of t h e peace s h a l i be a s s i g n e d t o h e a r such d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n p r o c e e d i n g by t h e c h i e f j u s t i c e of t h e Supreme C o u r t , o r by a d i s t r i c t judger i f t h e a f f i d a v i t i s a g a i n s t a j u s t i c e of t h e peace. The a f f i - d a v i t s h a l l s t a t e t h e f a c t s and t h e r e a s o n s f o r t h e b e l i e f t h a t b i a s o r p r e j u d i c e e x i s t s , and s h a l l be f i l e d n o t l e s s t h a n twent:.y d a y s b e f o r e t h e o r i g i n a l d a t e of t r i a l , o r good c a u s e s h a l l be shown f o r f a i l u r e t o f i l e i t w i t h i n such t i m e , I t s h a l l be ac- companied b y a c e r t i f i c a t e of c o u n s e l of r e c o r d s t a t i n g t h a t i S : i s made i n good f a i t h . 7. When a new t r i a l i s o r d e r e d i n any c a s e , whether by o r d e r of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t o r t h e Supreme C o u r t , e a c h a d v e r s e p a r t y shal.1 be e n t i t l e d t o fi1.e one motion f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n o f a judge i n t h e manner provided i n paragraph 4 , whether o r n o t t h a t p a r t y h a s p r e v i o u s l y f i l e d motions f a r s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge. Such motions must be f i l e d : a, I f t h e new t r i a l h a s been o r d e r e d by t h e d i s - " t r i c t c o u r t , w i t h i n 1 0 d a y s a f t e r t h e t i m e f o r a p p e a l i n g t h e order has elapsed, b. I f t h e new t r i a l h a s been o r d e r e d by t h e Supreme C o u r t , w i t h i n 1 0 d a y s a f t e r n o t i c e of r e c e i p t o f t h e r e m i t t i t u r h a s been r e c e i v e d by t h e r e s p e c t i v e p a r t i e s from t h e c l e r k of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t . 8. The p r o v i s i o n s of t h i s r u l e s h a l l n o t a p p l y t o any p e r s o n i n any c a u s e i n v o l v i n g a d i r e c t contempt of c o u r t if a p e r s o n i s charged w i t h i n d i r e c t contempt of c o u r t , t h e judge of t h e c o u r t a g a i n s t which t h e contempt i s a l l e g e d t o have been committed s h a l l n o t i f y t h e c h i e f j u s t i c e of t h e Supreme C o u r t , who s h a l l a p p o i n t a judge of a n o t h e r d i s t r i c t t o h e a r and d e c i d e t h e c h a r g e , 9. T h i s r u l e s u p e r s e d e s and i s t o be used t o t h e e x c l u - s i o n of s e c t i o n s 93-901, 95-1709, K.C.M. 93-25106 ( 4 ) , 93-2907, 93-63602 ( 2 ) and 1947. I t i s t h e i n t e n t i o n o f t h e C o u r t t o make t h i s r u l e e f f e c - t i v e on Ju1.y 1, 1 9 7 6 , i t t o a p p l y t o a l l a c t i o n s f i l e d on o r af t o r t h a t date, I n o r d e r t h a t members of t h e benc:h and b a r may have a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o f a m i l i a r i z e themselves w i t h t h e r u l e I T SS ORDERED t h a t a copy of t h i s o r d e r be p u b l i s h e d i n t h e Bar R u l l . e t i n of t.he S t a t e Bar of Montana. Should any member d e s i r e t o e x p r e s s h i s views t h e r e o n t h e C o u r t w i l l be p l e a s e d t o a c c e p t any such comments, i n w r i t i n g , f i l e d i n s i x c o p i e s w i t h t h e c h i e f j u s t i c e on o r b e f o r e May 3.4, 1976. DATED t h i s 6 t h day of A p r i l , 1 9 7 6 .

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.