Matter of Rules on Disqualification

Montana Supreme Court

Matter of Rules on Disqualification

DecidedApril 6, 1976

StatusPublished

This text of Matter of Rules on Disqualification (Matter of Rules on Disqualification) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Matter of Rules on Disqualification, (Mo. 1976).

Pincite

Opinion

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 ch. . . , .,: . L . ; ' Cz, ;.,j&At: 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 :

DISQUALIFICATION AND SUBSTITUTION O JUDGES F

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 .

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