03/15/2026
Jury Finds In Favor of Ravalli County in Jail Diversion Lawsuit
Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton released the following statement regarding the verdict Thursday in the Jail Diversion lawsuit:
“The lawsuit against Ravalli County has been widely reported on over the last six years. I am very happy that the jury was able to concentrate on the facts of the case and after applying the law, unanimously found in favor of Ravalli County. The plaintiffs accused Ravalli County, the Courts/Judges and the Jail Diversion program of both false imprisonment and due process violations. The claims against the Courts and Judges were dismissed. The false imprisonment claim was dismissed by Federal Court on Wednesday. Much was made about the fact that the fees for the program were set by the Sheriff’s Office only, which simply isn’t true. It is true that I propose the fees to the Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners, who in turn either approve or deny the proposal in a public meeting, after public notice and the opportunity for public comment.
Jail Diversion is an expensive program. The technology of alcohol detection and GPS units is expensive. The laboratory fees for confirming drug tests is expensive. It is expensive to maintain a staff of Pre-Trial/Misdemeanor Probation Officers. The fees defendants pay fund those things. No one has ever had their bail revoked for simply not paying their fees. The courts order conditions of release. In many cases those conditions require some kind of technology mentioned above. All defendants are afforded opportunities to argue or contest the conditions of release. If the defendants did not pay fees for the services, the program would not exist.
The Jail Diversion program has exceeded my expectations since it began in 2018. We have reduced the average daily population of the Ravalli County Jail by over 30%. The reason we can reduce that population is the Courts have the option of letting people out of jail, but can still keep Ravalli County safe as criminal defendants are monitored while released. The program also has benefits for defendants. It allows defendants the opportunity to maintain or seek employment, when otherwise they would be incarcerated as the case runs its course. Defendants are held accountable during the release, which is sometimes what they need to help them achieve sobriety.
I am very proud of the Jail Diversion team and the work they do every day. Ravalli County is a safer place because of their efforts. Credit goes to the County Attorney’s Office and District and Justice Courts as well. I am grateful for their partnership. I also need to thank the Montana Association of Counties Litigation Team. Their efforts and over 2000 hours of work over the last six years are the reason the court and jury were able to make a clear and unanimous decision, finding that Ravalli County did not violate anyone’s due process rights."
-Sheriff Steve Holton
