Case Title: MATTER OF RULES ON DISQUALIFICATION

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Docket Number: 

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1981-06-30T00:00:00Z

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IN THE SUPREME COIJRT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA O R D E R I T - ...-"..- ------- FB&c*D <j?" 13 2 ;.:o\ RE: RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT --"..-------- b (.;r ?j;:-K;: r*,,,: :;*';LJi+T , -- ' * ,. * & li70id'i ANR PER CURIAM: Pursuant to the power placed in this court by Article VII, Section 2, of the 1972 Montana Constitution, this Court adopts the following rule on the disqualification and sub- stitution of judges: DISQUALIFICATION OF JUDGES Any justice, judge, or justice of the peace must not sit or act in any action or proceeding: 1. To which he is a party, or in which he is interested; 2. When he is related to either party by consaguinity or affinity within the sixth degree, computed according to the rules of law; 3. When he has been attorney or counsel in the actlon or proceeding for any party or when he rendered or made the judgment, order or declsion appealed from. SUBSTITUTION OF JUDGES -- PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES Peremptory challenges shall apply only to District Court proceedinqs. A motion for a substitution of a judge may be made by any party to a District Court proceeding. In a civil case, each adverse party is entitled to two substitutions of a ~udgc. In a criminal case, the state and each defendant is entitled to one substitution of a judge. A motion for substitution of a judge shall be made by filinq a written motion for substitution reading as EoTiows: "The undersiqned hereby moves f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n of another judge f o r Judge - -" i n t h i s cause." The c l e r k of court s h a l l immediately give n o t i c e thereof t o a i l p a r t i e s and t o the judqe named i n the motion. Upon f i l i n g t h i s notice, 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 the cause o t h e r than t o c a l l i n another judge, which he s h a l l do forthwith, and t o s e t the calendar. The first d i s t r i c t judqe d i s y u a i i f i e d s h a l l have the dnty of c a l l i n g i n a l l subsequent d i s t r i c t judges. When a case i s f i l e d i n a multi-juciqe d i s t r i c t , it s h a l l be t h e duty of t h e c l e r k of court t o stamp the name of t h e judge t o which the case i s assigned on t h e face of the sumvnons, order t o show cause, o r information and a l l copies thereof. Whenever a judge is assigned a case f o r ten consecutive days and t h e attorneys of record on both s i d e s have knowledge of t h e assiqnment f a r t h a t period of time, and i f during t h i s t i m e no motion f o r substitiltion of a judge i s fil.ed aga.i,iist him, a l l r i g h t s t o move f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge s h a l l be deemed waived by a l l p a r t i e s , unless t h e presiding judge d i s q u a l i f i e s him.se1.f t h e r e a f t e r i n which case the 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 the ten-day period st-arts running anew, Whenever an acceptance of j u r i s d i c t i o n is f i l e d by a new judge, it s h a l l be the duty of the c l e r k of court to mail a copy of the acceptance of j u r i s d i c t i o n t o t h e ori?jinal judge who f i r s t had j u r i s d i c t i o n of t h e case, and a copy by c e r t i f i e d mail with return r e c e i p t requested t o each attorney of record, Service t o an attorney may be made by d e l i v e r y of a copy personally t o t h e attorney, o r by obtaining a w r i t t e n r e c e i p t from the attorney. Proof of service. s h a l l be s t a p l e d t o the acceptance of j u r i s d i c t i o n i n the t i l e . The c l e r k of c o u r t s h a l l contact the new judge accepting j u r i s d i c t i o n and request t h a t judge to communicate with t h e judge having j u r i s d i c t i o n 'n t h e f i r s t instance, so t h a t calendaring can be expeditiously handled. When a new t r i a l i s ordered i n any case., whether by order of t h e District Court o r t h e Supreme Court, each adverse part.y s h a l l be e n t i t l e d t o f i l e one motiorl f o r substitut,ion of a judge i n the manner provided herein, whether o r not t h a t p a r t y has previously f i l e d motions f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge. Such motions must be fil-ed: a . If t h e new t r i a l has been ordered by t h e D i s t r i c t Court, within t e n days a f t e r t h e t . i m e f o r appealing t h e order has elapsed. b. I f t h e new t r i a l has been ordered by the Supreme Court, within t e n days a f t e r n o t i c e of r e c e i p t of t h e rernittitur has been received by t h e respective p a r t i e s from the c l e r k of t h e District Court. DISQUALIFICATION F O R C A U S E This s e c t i o n s h a l l apply t o a l l District Court judqes, j u s t i c e s of the peace, municipnl. c o u r t judqes and t o a l l judges a c t i n g a s a Small Claims Court. A l l references t o judge a r e meant t o include a D i s t r i c t Court judye, a j u s t i c e of t h e peace, a municipal judge and a judge presiding under the Small Claims Act. Whenever a party t o any proceeding i n any c o u r t makes and f i l e s a timely 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 judqe before whom the matter is pending has a personal b i a s o r prejudice e i t h e r a g a i n s t him o r i n favor of any adverse p a r t y , snch judge s h a l l proceed no f u r t h e r therein. In t h e case of a d i s t r i c t judge, another d i s t r i c t judqe shall. be assigned hy t h e chief j u s t i c e of the Supreme Court t o hear such d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n proceedings. If an affidavit is against a justice of the peace, municipal judge or a judge presiding under the Small Claims Act, any district judge may appoint another justice of the peace or municipal judge to hear such proceeding, The affidavit shall state the facts and the reasons for the belief that bias or prejudice exists, and shall be filed not less t.han twe~tty days before the original date of trial, or yood cause shall be shown for failure to file it within such time. It shall be accompanied by a certificate o . E counsel. of record stating that it has been made in good faith. DIRECT CONTEMPT OF COURT: None of the provisions of this rule shall apply to any person in any cause involviny a direct contempt of court. INDIRECT . CONTEMPT OF COURT: . - When a person is charged in a District Court with indirect contempt of court, he shall be entitled to file one motion for substitution of a judge in the manner provided herein, whether or not that party has previously filed motions for substitution of a judge. Such a motion must be filed within ten days of the charge of indirect contempt of court. in that event, the judge of the court against which the contempt is alleged to have been committed shall notify the chief justice of the Supreme Court who shall appoint another district judge to hear and decide the charge. ORDER SUPERSEDES SECTION 3-1-801, MCA: - . - . - - By the authority of Article VIZ, Section 2, of the 1972 Montana Constrtution, this rule supersedes and is to be used to the exclusion of the rule on disqualification and substitution of judges adopted by Supreme Court Order dated December 29, 1976, and published as section 3-1-801, M C I I . EFFECTIVE DATE : . - This rule shall take effect on July I, 1981. M r . J u s t i c e Daniel J. Shea dissentinq i n p a r t : This Court permits two peremptory d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n s i n a civil. case i n d i s t r i c t c o u r t , b u t only one d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n i n a c:rimiiial case. J u s t i c e and l o g i c w q ~ r i r e s t h a t two d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n s a l s o be permitted i n a criminal proceedings i n d i s t r i c t court. l'his Court a l s o does not permit peremptory disqurilificatioris a t all i n j u s t i c e c o u r t o r i n municipal court p r o c e c d i ~ ~ y s . That ks u n f a i r , and t h e r e is no l o g i c i n not permitting a t l e a s t one peremptory d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n iii these c o u r t s , A b e l i e f by one o r t h e o t h e r p a r t y t h a t a j u s t i c e of the peace o r municipal judge w i l l be u n f a i r is j u s t a s pervasive a s such a b e l i e f i n a d i s t r i c t court proceeding. The f a c t t h a t one can appeal t o l i s t r i c t court from a f i n a l judgment of t h e justice court o r of t h e municipal. court. provides no consolation t o one who has had h i s r i g h t s determined by one whonl he wanted t o d i s q u a l i f y . Finally, t h e i n j u s t i c e of not permitting d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n i n j u s t i c e court o r i n municipal court proceedings i s carried over i n t o proceedings i n s t i t u t e d i n those c o u r t s f o r i n d i r e c t contempt of court. S u b s t i t u t i o n of judges is permitted i n an i n d i r e c t contempt of court proceeding ori({inating i n i i i s t r i c t i:ourt, but not i n j u s t i c e court o r i n municipal court. Aq∈, 1 see neither: f a i r n e s s o r l o g i c i n making t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n . It i s a t b e s t arbit.rary, arid , , , , DATED this 2 9 t h day of June, 1981,