Criminal Justice (Judges)

introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 20, 2025

LC 493: Establish central registry for individuals who are the subject of a substantiated report of child abuse or neglect

This bill establishes a statewide central registry in Montana to maintain records of individuals who have been found to have committed substantiated child abuse or neglect, directly affecting those individuals and organizations conducting background checks. The key mechanism requires that before anyone is added to the registry, they must receive written notice of the allegations and be granted a court hearing where a judge must confirm the findings by a preponderance of the evidence. The bill also defines specific categories for substantiated, unfounded, and unsubstantiated reports and outlines procedures for individuals to request removal of their names from the registry after appeals are exhausted.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens child protection by creating a registry for substantiated abuse cases, enhancing accountability and public safety through improved background checks.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 5, 2025

LC 3510: Generally revise bail laws

This bill revises Montana's bail laws to require that anyone arrested on a warrant issued by another state must appear before the judge who issued it before being granted bail, with limited exceptions if that judge is unavailable. It also mandates that release or detention decisions be made immediately at a defendant's first court appearance, using validated risk assessment tools and considering factors such as the nature of the offense, the defendant's criminal history, community ties, financial resources, and any threats to public safety. Additionally, the bill sets guidelines for determining bail amounts, requiring that they be reasonable and considerate of the defendant's financial ability, prior record, community ties, and mental health status while ensuring the defendant appears in court and does not pose a danger to others.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill revises bail laws to use validated risk assessment tools and ensure immediate release/detention decisions, promoting criminal justice reform and protecting defendant rights.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 10, 2025

LC 3066: Amending the constitution to provide for electors of a county to call a grand jury

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow registered voters in any Montana county to petition for the summoning of a grand jury through a signed petition. If 100 plus one-half of one percent of registered electors in a county sign the petition, the district court judge must summon and impanel a grand jury to investigate the issues raised by the petitioners. The amendment also requires county attorneys to prosecute any indictment issued by such a grand jury within 90 days, with penalties for failure to do so, and allows the grand jury to seek assistance from the attorney general or hire independent counsel if needed. If approved by Montana voters in the November 2026 general election, this change would modify Article II, Section 20 of the state constitution to add this citizen-initiated grand jury process.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens grand jury process by allowing citizen-initiated investigations, enhancing oversight and accountability in criminal justice system through increased judicial scrutiny of prosecutorial actions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 15, 2025

LC 1595: Generally revise criminal law Prohibiting judges from seeking, accepting, or using political party endorsement

This bill prohibits judges and judicial candidates in Montana from knowingly seeking, accepting, using, advertising, or promoting contributions or endorsements from political parties. The law aims to maintain judicial impartiality by preventing political party influence in the judicial selection process. If a judge or candidate violates this rule, they could face legal consequences under Montana's criminal law. The provision applies to both current judges and those running for judicial office.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens judicial impartiality by preventing political influence, which supports fair criminal justice administration and protects defendant rights.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 4, 2025

LC 2371: Revise laws on a judge's ability to provide bail to certain defendants

This bill amends Montana law to restrict judges from granting bail to defendants who are on warrants issued by other jurisdictions. Under the new rules, judges can only admit defendants to bail if they are properly appearing before the court and are not subject to an out-of-state warrant. The legislation also clarifies that bail must be continued when a defendant is bound over to another court, with exceptions for those on external warrants. Additionally, the law maintains provisions allowing bail during appeals and permits virtual appearances through audio-video communication.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill restricts judges' ability to grant bail to defendants with out-of-state warrants, limiting judicial discretion and reducing defendant rights in criminal procedure.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 28, 2025

LC 4220: Authorize transfers and other necessary measures to implement HB2 Section D

This bill (LC 4220) implements provisions from House Bill 2 by amending Montana law to increase district court judge staffing in specific judicial districts (e.g., adding judges to the 2nd, 7th, 16th, 20th, and 21st districts). It requires the Department of Corrections to submit quarterly reports on electronic communications at Montana State Prison, including blocked messages and system audit results. The bill also directs two interim committees to study offender re-entry services (to assess costs, programs, and recidivism) and legal services consolidation (to compare pay rates and propose a unified legal services unit). These studies must conclude by September 2026 with recommendations for the next legislative session. Additionally, it updates legal representation requirements for indigent parents in child abuse and neglect cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeIncreases court staffing, mandates prison communication oversight, and studies re-entry services - directly advancing criminal justice reform through improved oversight and rehabilitation focus.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

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signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 30: Revise laws related to Judiciary and rule of necessity

SB 30 revises laws concerning judicial conflicts of interest and recusal for judicial officers in legal proceedings. The bill specifies that the legal doctrine of the rule of necessity cannot be used by a judicial officer to avoid recusal due to a conflict of interest if other judicial officers with less significant conflicts are available to serve as substitutes. This change aims to ensure that cases are heard by judges with minimal potential conflicts, building upon existing rules for recusal based on campaign contributions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill ensures judicial impartiality by mandating recusal when conflicts exist, promoting fair court proceedings in criminal cases per criminal justice reform indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 460: Amending the constitution to provide for electors of a county to call a grand jury

HB 460 proposed a constitutional amendment in Montana to allow citizens in any county to call for a grand jury. Currently, grand juries are impaneled at the discretion of a district judge. The bill would have required a grand jury to be summoned if a petition signed by a specific percentage of registered electors in a county was submitted. It also mandated that county attorneys prosecute indictments from these citizen-initiated grand juries and allowed the grand jury to seek assistance from the Attorney General or hire a private prosecutor if necessary.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeIncreases public oversight by enabling citizen petitions to initiate grand juries, promoting transparency in court processes - a key aspect of criminal justice reform.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

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vetoed · Montana · Senate Jun 27, 2025

SB 40: Revise supreme court public records laws by opening deliberations and files to the public

SB 40 would require Montana's Supreme Court to publicly disclose its deliberations by mandating recordings of closed meetings and making those records available after a case is final. It amends Montana law (sections 2-3-203, 2-3-212, and 2-6-1002, MCA) to ensure closed judicial discussions - currently private - are recorded and accessible to the public once all appeals are exhausted. The bill directly affects the Montana Supreme Court's internal proceedings and expands public access to judicial decision-making. Key provisions include requiring electronic recordings of closed meetings, redacting only confidential information as defined by law, and specifying that cases become final after all review periods expire.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands public access to judicial deliberations, enhancing transparency in court proceedings - a key aspect of criminal justice reform and judicial accountability.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Judges

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died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 3447: Revising laws related to appointment of counsel

This bill (LC 3447) was a proposed revision to laws governing the appointment of legal counsel, but it never became law. The bill was drafted in December 2024, placed on hold in February 2025, and ultimately died in the legislative process in May 2025. No specific provisions or policy changes were enacted, as the bill did not advance beyond the drafting stage. The legislative process for this bill was terminated before it could be considered or voted on by the full body. As a result, no concrete policy changes were implemented under this bill.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill revises appointment of counsel in criminal procedure, supporting fair trials and defendant rights - a standard criminal justice reform measure.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Judges

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