Montana’s Constitution guarantees judicial independence to maintain impartiality and uphold the rule of law.
There are many types of courts in Montana. Municipal and justice courts deal with traffic violations and small claim disputes and see nearly 125,000 cases each year. District courts resolve most legal issues, including family law, business disputes, criminal complaints, and property rights. In 2023, Montana’s district courts handled over 50,000 cases. The Montana Supreme Court is the state’s appeals court, and those seven justices resolved more than 800 cases last year.
Our fact sheet explains why non-partisan elections of judges and justices are critical and outlines why proposals to introduce politics into the judicial election process harm the impartiality of our courts.
