D A 0 9

- 0 2 1 8



### I N T H E S U P R E M E C O U R T O F T H E S T A T E O F M O N T A N A

2 0 0 9 M T 4 2 4 N

B L A K E S A R G E N T B L A T T E R

,

P l a i n t i f f a n d A p p e l l e e

,

v

.

P A R K C O U N T Y S H E R I F F ’ S O F F I C E

,

D e f e n d a n t a n d A

p p e l l a n t

.

APPEAL FROM: District Court of the Sixth Judicial District,

I n a n d F o r t h e C o u

n t y o f P a r k

, C a u s e N o

. D V 0 7

- 9 1

H o n o r a b l e W m

. N e l s S w a n d a l

, P r e s i d i n g J u d g e

C O U N S E L O F R E C O R D :

F o r A p p e l l a n t :

T o d d A

. S t u b b s ; M o o r e

, O ’ C o n n e l l & R e f l i n g

, P

. C

. , B o z e m a n

, M o n t a n a

F o r A p p e l l e e :

J a m i R e b s o m

, K a r l K

n u c h e l

, P

. C

. ; L i v i

n g s t o n

, M o n t a n a

S u b m i t t e d o n B r i e f

s : N o v e m b e r 1 8

, 2 0 0 9

D e c i d e d : D e c e m b e r 1 5

, 2 0 0 9

F i l e d :

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C l e r k December 15 20092

C h i e f J u s t i c e M i k e M c G r a t h d e l i v e r e d t h e O p i n i o n o f t

h e C o u r t

.

¶ 1 P u r s u a n t t o S e c t i o n I

, P a r a g r a p h 3 ( d ) ( v

)

, M o n t a n a S u p r e m e C o u r t 1 9 9 6 I n t e r n a l

O p e r a t i n g R

u l e s

, a s a m e n d e d i n 2 0 0 6

, t h e f o l l o w i n g m e m o r a n d u m d e c i s i o n s h a l l n o t b e

c i t e d a s p r e c e d e n t

. I

t s h a l l b e f

i l e d a s a p u b l i c d o c

u m e n t w i t h t h e C l e r k o f t h e S u p r e m e

C o u r t a n d i t s c a s e t i t l e

, S u p r e m e C o u r t c a u s e n u m b e r a n d d i s p o s i t i o n s h a l l b e i n c l u d e d i n

t h i s C o u r t ’ s q u a r t e r l y l i s t o f n o n c i t a b l e c a s e s p u b l i s h e d i n t

h e P a c i f i c R e p o r t e r a n d

M o n t a n a R e p o r t s

.

¶ 2 P a r k C o u n t y a p p e a l s f r o m t h e j u d g m e n t e n t e r e d u p o n a J a n u a r y

, 2 0 0 9

, j u r y v e r d i c t

i n f a v o r o f B l a t t e r

. W e a f

f i r m

.

¶ 3 T h e P a r k C o u n t y S h e r i f f t e r m i n a t e d B l a t t e r ’ s e m p l o y m e n t a s a D e p u t y S h e r i f f

,

pursuant to § 7

- 3 2

- 2 1 0 7

, M C A

, w h i c h s p e c i f

i e s t h e o n l y c a u s e s f

o r w h i c h a d e p u t y

s h e r i f f m a y b e f

i r e d

. 1 The Sheriff contended that Bl atter willfully disobeyed order s and

that he demonstrated gross inefficiency in the performance of his official duties. Th e

s i t u a t i o n that led to Blatter’s termination arose from the detritus of a failed romance

b e t w e e n t w o P a r k C o u n t y D e tention Officers, and the Sheriff’s attempt to identify the

s o u r c e o f a r

u m o r a b o u t t

h a t r e l a t i o n s h i p

. T h e S h e r i f

f c o n t e n d e d t

h a t B l a t t e r ’s

termination was justified because he ha d spread the rumor about an incident related to the

r e l a t i o n s h i p

, c o n

t r a r y t o a “no rumor” order, and th at he refused to disclose the source of

the rumor.

1 T h o s e c a u s e s i n c l u d e c o n v i c t i o n o f a f

e l o n y

, w i l l f

u l d i s o b e d i e n c e o f a n o r d e r g i v e n b y

t h e s h e r i f f

, d r i n k i n g o n d u

t y

, s l e e p i n g o n d

u t y

, i n c a p a c i t y

, a

n d g r o s s i n e f f i c i e n c y

.3

¶ 4 Blatter a

p p e a l e d h i s t e r m

i n a t i o n t o t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t a s a l l o w e d b y § 7

- 3 2

- 2 1 0 9

,

MCA. After a trial, t he jury found that the termination was n o t “ j u s t i f i e d a n d p r o p e r ”

under § 7

- 3 2

- 2 1 0 7

, M C A ; t h a t B l a t t e r w a s e n

t i t l e d t o d a m a g

e s o f $ 9 5

, 9 9 7

. 4 0 ; a

n d t h a t

Blatter was entitled to reinstatement as a deputy as provided in § 7

- 3 2

- 2 1 1 0

, M C A

.

¶ 5 Park County contends on a p p e a l t h a t t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t m

i s a p p l i e d § 7

- 3 2

- 2 1 0 7

,

MCA, resultin g in admission of “a plethora of prejud icial a n d i r r e l e v a n t t e s t i m o n y ” t h a

t

c a u s e d t h e j u r y t o w

r o n g f u l l y r e t u r n a v e r d i c t f o r B l a t t e r

. P a r k C o u n

t y a r g u e s t h a t t h e

S h e r i f f ’ s D e p a r t m e n t i s a “ p a r a m i l i t a r y o p e r a t i o n ” a n d t h a t u n d e r § 7

- 3 2

- 2 1 0 7

, M C A

,

there i s “ z e r o t o l e r a n c e ” f o r a n y d e p u t y w

h o c o m m i t s a n y o f t h e i n f

r a c t i o n s l i s t e d t h e r e i n

.

The County further argues that in litigation involving a deputy’s t e r m i n a t i o n u n d e r § 7

-

3 2

- 2 1 0 7

, M C A

, t

h e d e p u t y m a y n o t i n t r

o d u c e e v i d e n c e t o s h o w t h a

t t h e r e w e r e o t

h e r

n o n

- s t a t u t o r y r e a s o n s f

o r t h e t e r m

i n a t i o n

.

¶ 6 The District Court

, i n d e n y i n g t h e C o u n t y ’ s p r e

- t r i a l m o t i o n i n l i m i n e

, h e l d t h a

t

B l a t t e r s h o u l d b e a

l l o w e d t o p r e s e n

t r e l e v a n t e v i d e n c e t o t h e j u r y i n a n a t t e m p t t o s h o w

t h a t t h e s t a t u t o r y r e a s o n s f

o r t e r m i n a t i o n w e r e f

a l s e o r a p r e t e x t

. T h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t

concluded that Blatter s h o u l d n o t “ b e p r o h i b i t e d f r o m p r e s e n t i n g e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e a c t u a l

r e a s o n f o r h i s t e r m

i n a t i o n w a s o t h e r t

h a n t h a t s t a t e d i n t h e t e r m

i n a t i o n l e t t e r

. ”

¶ 7 T h e C o u n t y r e l i e s u p o n E r i c k s o n v

. F i s h e r

, 1 7 0 M o n

t

. 4 9 1

, 5 5 4 P

. 2 d 1 3 3 6 ( 1 9 7 6 )

,

i n s u p p o r t o f i t s a r g

u m e n t t h a

t e v i d e n c e a t t h e t r i a l s h o u l d h a v e b e e n s t r i c t l y l i m

i t e d t o t h e

statutory cause s f

o r t e r m i n a t i o n l i s t e d i n § 7

- 3 2

- 2 1 0 7

, M C A

. E r i c k s o n d e a l s w i t h t h e

evidence necessary to support a s h e r i f f ’ s j u s t i f i c a t i o n o f a t e r m

i n a t i o n f o r c a u s e u n d e r t h e

s t a t u t e

. I t d o e s n o t

, h o w e v

e r

, e x p r e s s l y l i m i t t h e e v i d e n c e t h a t c a n b e s u b m

i t t e d b y t h e4

t e r m i n a t e d d e p u t y i n a n a p p e a l o f t h e t e r m i n a t i o n

. T o t h e c o n

t r a r y

, E r i c k

s o n h e l d t h a

t t h e

deputy’s evi dence of his reasons for disobeying the sheriff’s order in that case w a s “ a n

e v i d e n t i a r y f

a c t r e l a t e d t o w

h e t h e r o r n o t h e o b e y e d t h e o r d e r

. ” E r i c k s o n

, 1 7 0 M o n

t

. a t

4 9 5

, 5 5 4 P

. 2 d a t 1 3 3 8

. N e i t h e r Erickson n o r § 7

- 3 2

- 2 1 0 7

, M C A

, p r e c l u d e t h e d e p u t y

f r o m i n t r o d u c i n g e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e t e r m i n a t i o n w a s n o t j u s t i f

i e d b e c a u s e t h e r e w e r e

u l t e r i o r r e a s o n s

, o u t s i d e o f t h e s t a t u t o r y g r o u n d s

, f o r t h e t e r m i n a t i o n

.

¶ 8 I n a d d i t i o n

, P a r k C o u n

t y d o e s n o t s p e c i f

y e x a c t l y w

h a t e v i d e n c e w a s w

r o n g f u l l y

a d m i t t e d a n d c o n s i d e r e d b y t h e j u r y

. B l a t t e r d e s c r i b e s i n h i s b r i e f t h e e v i d e n c e a n d

t e s t i m o n y t h a t w a s a d m

i t t e d i n s u p p o r

t o f h i s u l t e r i o r m o t i v

e c a s e

, w i t h o u t o b

j e c t i o n f r o m

t h e C o u n t y

. W e d e c l i n e t o g

u e s s a t t h e s p e c i f

i c e v i d e n c e t h e C o u n

t y o b j e c t s t o

.

¶ 9 T h e C o u n t y a l s o a r g u e s t h a t i t w a s e n t i t l e d t o a n e w t r i a l b e c a u s e o f m i s c o n d u c t o f

t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t d

u r i n g t h e t r i a l

. T h e C o u n t y b r o a d l y c o n t e

n d s t h a t t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t

“made gestures” during the trial conveying a “ d e m e a n o r t h r o u g h o u t t h e t r i a l [ t h a

t ] w a s

anti

- government

. ” T h e C o u n t y f u r t h e r c o n

t e n d s t h a t t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t s h o w e d p r e j u d i c e

to the jury by “continual cross examination of Park County ’ s k e y w i t n e s s e s w h i c h

t e l e g r a p h e d a m e s s a g e t o t

h e j u r y ” t h a

t t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t f

a v o r e d B l a t t e r

.

¶ 1 0 T h e C o u n

t y p r o v i d e s l i t t l e i n t h e w a y o f f

a c t u a l d e t a i l t o s u

p p o r t t h e s e c o n t e n t i o n s

,

c i t i n g t h r e e i n s t a n c e s w

h e r e t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t q

u e s t i o n e d w i t n e s s e s

. W e f i n d n o e r r o r i n

t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t ’ s f

e w q u e s t i o n s a s k e d t o t h r e e w i t n e s s e s o u t o f a b o u t 2 5 c a l l e d d u r i n g a

four

- day trial

. T h e C o u n t y d o e s n o t e v

e n a t t e m p t t o d e s c r i b e t h e “ g

e s t u r e s ” t h a t

c o n v e y e d a n “ a n t i

- g

o v e r n m e n t ” d e m e a n o r

.5

¶ 1 1 More importantly t he County never objected to any of this

— t h e q u e s t i o n s o r t h e

gestures and demeanor

— d u r i n g t h e t r i a l i t s e l f

. T h e C o u n t y r e s p o n d s t h a t i t c o u l d n o t

o b j e c t t o t h e c o u r t ’ s c o n d

u c t i n f r o n t o f t h e j u r y

, b u

t a l s o t h a t i t c o u l d n o t e v

e n o b j e c t i n

chambers because of the “anti

- g o v e r n m e n t ” a t m o s p h e r e

. T h i s i s n o j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r t h e

f a i l u r e t o l o d g

e a s i n g l e o b j e c t i o n

. W e w i l l n o t c o n s i d e r t h i s i s s u e w h e n t h e r e w a s n o

c o n t e m p o r a n e o u s o b j e c t i o n o f a n y k i n d f

r o m t h e C o u n t y a

n d n o t h i n g a p p e a r s o n t h e f

a c e

o f t h e r e c o r d

. McDermott v. Carie

, 2 0 0 5 M T 2 9 3

, ¶ ¶ 1 4

- 1 5

, 3 2 9 M o n

t

. 2 9 5

, 1 2 4 P

. 3 d

1 6 8

.

¶ 1 2 W e h a v

e d e t e r m i n e d t o d e c i d e t h i s c a s e p u r s u a n t t o S e c t i o n I

, P a r a g r a p h 3 ( d ) o f

o u r 1 9 9 6 I

n t e r n a l O p e r a t i n g R

u l e s

, a s a m e n d e d i n 2 0 0 6

, w h i c h p r o v

i d e s f o r

m e m o r a n d u m o p i n i o n s

. T h e i s s u e s a r e c l e a r l y c o n t r o l l e d b y s e t t l e d M o n

t a n a l a w

¶ 1 3 A f f i r m e d

.

/ S / M I K E M c G R A T H

W e c o n c u r :

/ S / J A M E S C

. N E L S O N

/ S / W

. W I L L I

A M L E A P H A R T

/ S / J I M R I C E

/ S / B R I A N M O R R I S