Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 3. JUDICIARY, COURTS

CHAPTER 10. JUSTICES' COURTS

Part 2. Justices of the Peace

Election

3-10-201. Election. (1) Except as provided in 3-10-206, each justice of the peace must be elected by the qualified electors of the county at the general state election immediately preceding the expiration of the term of office of the justice of the peace's predecessor.

(2) A justice of the peace must be nominated and elected on the nonpartisan judicial ballot in the same manner as judges of the district court.

(3) Each judicial office must be a separate and independent office for election purposes, each office must be numbered by the county commissioners, and each candidate for justice of the peace shall specify the number of the office for which the candidate seeks to be elected. A candidate may not file for more than one office.

(4) Section 13-35-231, prohibiting political party contributions to judicial officers, applies to justices of the peace.

History: En. Sec. 60, C. Civ. Proc. 1895; re-en. Sec. 6279, Rev. C. 1907; re-en. Sec. 8833, R.C.M. 1921; Cal. C. Civ. Proc. Sec. 85; re-en. Sec. 8833, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 491, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 23, L. 1974; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 276, L. 1974; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 420, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 93-401(part); amd. Sec. 188, Ch. 61, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 143, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 87, L. 2015.