This morning at the Montana Legislature, a bill came forward that would allow judges to be removed from cases if an attorney involved has contributed to the judge’s campaign.
Republican Representative Matthew Monforton says judges may not always be biased by contributions, but people need to trust that their lawyers or their opponent’s lawyers do not appear to have an advantage by contributing.
“It isn’t just that there is actual impropriety taking place. It is the appearance of impropriety.”
Opponents of House Bill 255 say the bill could allow lawyers to give money to judicial campaigns in order to avoid that judge. Mark Parker of the State Bar of Montana explained that $35 is all it takes under this bill for a judge to be thrown out of trial.
“There are some people out there that will contribute to ... a judge they don’t want and for $36, get the judge disqualified in their cases.”
No immediate action was taken on the bill.
