05/17/2022
I am proud to announce that I am running for the Montana Supreme Court. This is my first time running for public office. My decision to run was made knowing the support I have from friends and family.
For those who do not know me, which are most, after graduating from the University of Montana Law School, I moved to Billings, where I have practiced law for nearly 27 years.
I am a Main Street lawyer. Over the years, I have represented everyone who called or came through the door – ranchers, farmers, workers, employers, veterans, and small-business owners.
I have especially enjoyed protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of Montanans, from preventing a government agency from wrongfully shutting a small business, to restoring a client’s Second Amendment rights.
I am an experienced trial attorney. I have represented clients before juries in state and federal courts. I have appeared before the Montana Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. My litigation experience has given me an understanding of how the justice system can be improved, and I will press for those improvements if elected.
Elections should be about the competition of ideas, and I am certain all the candidates for the two open positions for the Montana Supreme Court will offer the people of Montana a choice of ideas.
First and foremost, I pledge to Montanans I will preserve and protect their rights under the Montana Constitution.
Unfortunately, a fair number of Montanans believe their judicial system is not open and transparent as it should be. I will work to correct that image. I believe the people of Montana have a right to know how public officials conduct the people’s business. Article II, Section 9 of the Montana Constitution mandates the public has the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of public bodies, including the judiciary, except when the needs of individual privacy clearly exceed the merits of public disclosure.
If elected, I will serve one term. The pressure of running for re-election and raising money is not conducive to preserving and protecting the rights of Montanans. I believe my one-term commitment will allow me to remain an independent jurist.
I will not accept any money from potential donors. I believe judges and justices should not only be fair and independent but also maintain that image. This is a very old and honored ideal in Montana history.
Between now and the election, I hope to get out and meet as many Montanans as possible. I promise to listen to all who have ideas on how we together can make the Montana judiciary better for Montanans.
