Title: MATTER OF RULES ON DISQUALIFICATION
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: --
State: Montana
Issuer: Montana Supreme Court
Date: February 17, 1981

I N THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF M O N T A N A O R D E R RE: RULES OF THE SUPREm COURT -- - - 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 V I I , S e c t i o n 2, of t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n of t h e S t a t e of Montana, t h e C o u r t h a s undertaken 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 proposes t o a d o p t t h e f o l l o w i n g r u l e : DISQUALIFICATION OF JUDGES Any j u s t i c e , judge, o r j u s t i c e o f t h e peace must n o t s i t o r act i n any a c t i o n o r proceeding: 1. To which he i s a p a r t y , o r i n which h e i s i n t e r e s t e d ; 2. When h e i s r e l a t e d t o e i t h e r p a r t y by consaguin- i t y L 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 y t o t h e r u l e s of law; 3 . When he h a s been a t t o r n e y o r c o u n s e l i n t h e a c t i o n o r proceeding f o r any p a r t y o r when he r e n d e r e d o r made t h e judgment, o r d e r o r d e c i s i o n appealed from. SUBSTITUTION O F JUDGES A motion f o r a s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge may be made by any p a r t y t o a District C o u r t proceeding. I n a c i v i l . c a s 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 two s u b s t i t u t i a n s of a judge. I n a c r i m i n a l c a s e , t h e s t a 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 j t u t i o n of a judge. 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 i . 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 i ? 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 of a n o t h e r judge f o r Judge - -. - i n t h i s c a u s e . " The c l e r k of 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 to 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 i i n g t h i s 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 act i n t-he c a u s e o t h e r t h a n t o c a l l i n anot.her judge, which h e s h a l l do f o r t h w i t h , and t o set t h e c a l e n d a r . Where more t h a n one d i . s y u a l i f i c a t . i o n is made, t h e judge most r e c e n t l y d i s q u a l i f i e d s h a l l have t h e power t o c a l l i n a s u c c e s s o r judge, When a c a s e i s f i l e d i n a multi-judge d i s t r i c t : , i t s h a l i be t h e d u t y of t h e c l e r k of c o u r t t o stamp t h e name of t h e judge t o which t h e c a s e is a s s i q 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 , or inforniation and a l l c o p i e s t h e r e n f . Whenever a judge i s assi.gned a c a s e f o r ten, con- s e c ~ ~ t i1.w d a y s and t h e atccirneys of r e c o r d on b o t h s i d e s have knowiedge of t h e assj.gnment f o r t h a t p e r i o d of t i m e , and i f d r ~ r i n q 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 of a judge i.s f i l t d a g a i n s t 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 b e deemed waived 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 l . 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 ten-day p e r i o d s t a r t s running 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 t o n1ai.L a copy of 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 t o t h e origi.nal j u d ~ e w h c f i r s t had j u r i s i i i c t i o n of t h e c a s e , and a copy by c e r t i f i e d m a i l w i t h r e t u r n rec:eipt r e q u e s t e d t o e a c h a t t o r n e y o f r e c o r d . S e r v i c e t o a n a t t o r n e y may be made by d e l i v e r y of a copy p e r s o n a l l y t c ) t h e a t t o r n e y , o r by o b t a i n i n g a w r i t t e n r e c e i p t from t h e a t t o r n e y . Proof of s e r v i c e s h a l l be s t a p i e d t o t h e a c c e p t a n c e (if j u r j . s d i c t i o n i.n !-.he f i l e . The c:Lerk of c o u r t sha1.l c o n t a c t tile new judge a c c e p t i n g j u r i s d i - c t i o n and r c y u e s t t h a t judge t o comrnunica te w i l l 1 tile judqe having j u r i s d i c t i i o n i n t h e f i r s t i n s t a n c e , s o t h a t c a l e n d a r i n g can b e e x p e d i t i o u s l y handied. When a new t r i a l . i s o r d e r e d i.n any c a s e , whietlher by o r d e r o f 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 , each a d v e r s e p a r t y s h a l l be e n t i t - l e d t o f i l e one motion f o r sub- s t i t u t i o n of a judge i n t h e manner provided h e r e i n , whet:her o r not. t h a t p a r t y h a s previ.nusly f i l e d niotions f o r subst.i.i;u- t i o n of a judge. Such motions must b e f i l e d : a . I f t-he new t r i a l h a s been o r d e r e d by t h e D i s - trj-ct C o u r t , w i t h i n t e n 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 o r d e r h a s e l a p s e d . 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 t e n d a y s a f t e r n o t i c e of r e c e i p t of 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 . DISQUALIFICATION FOR CAUSE Whenever a p a r t y t o any proceeding i n any Court: 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 persona.1 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 or j u s t i c e of t h e peace s h a l l proceed no f u r t h e r t h e r e i n , b u t i n t h e c a s e of a d i s t r i c t judge, a n o t h e r d i s t r i c t judge s h a l l be a s s i g n e d by tlze chi.ef justi.ce of t h e Supreme C o u r t t o h e a r such d i s - ~ 1 u a l i f i . c a t i o n prticeeding and i n t h e case a n 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, p o l i c e o r municipal judqe, any d i . s t r i c t judge may appoint. a n o t h e r j u s t i c e of t h e p e a c e , p o l i c e o r municipal judge t o h e a r such proceeding. 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 be- l i e f t h a t b i a s o r prejudi-ce exists, and s h a l l b e f i l e d n o t less t h a n twenty 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 , or good c a u s e shai.1. be shown f o r f a i l u r e t o f i l e i.t wi.thin such t i m e . It s h a l l be accompanied by a c e r t i f i c a t e of counse3 of r e c o r d s t a t i n g t h a t i t h a s been made i n good f a i t h . None of t h e p r o v i s i o n s of t h i s r u l e s h a l l a p p i y t.0 any person i n any c a u s e i n v o l v i n g a d i r e c t contempt of court. . When a person :i.s charged w i t h i n d i r e c t contempt. of cour-t, he s h a l l b e e n t i t l e d t c i f i l e one motion f o r s u b s t i t - u - t i o n of a judge i n t h e manner prov.ided h e r e i n , whether o r n o t t h a t p a r t y h a s previou:;ly f i l e d motions f o r s u b s t i l r u t i o n o f a judge. Such a moti.on must b e fi.led. withi.n t.en d a y s of tile c h a r g e o f i n d i r e c t contempt of c o u r t . I n t h a t e v e n t , t h e judge of t h e c o u r t a g a i n s t which t h e contempt i s a i i e q e d t o have been cornmitt-ed s h a l l n o t i f y t h e c h i e f j u s t i c e o f t h e Supreme C o u r t who s h a l l a p p o i n t a n o t h e r d i s t r i c t judqe t o h e a r and d e c i d e t h e charge. T h i s r u l e s u p e r s e d e s and i s t o be used t o khe ex- c l u s i o n of s e c t i o n s 93-901, 93-2906 (4)' 93-2907, 93-6602 ( 2 ) and 95-1709, R.C.M. 1947. P u r s u a n t t o A r + i c l e VII, S e c t i o n 2, of t h e 1972 Montana Constit.ution. It i s t h e i n t e n t i o n of t h e C o u r t t o make t h i s r u l e e f f e c t i v e on t-he 1st day of J u l y , 1981, and it i s t o a p p l y t o a l l a c t i o n s f i l e d on u r a f t e r t h a t d a t e . i n o r d e r t h a t members of t h e bench and b a r may have a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o f a m i l i a r i z e themselves wi.th t h e ru1.e IT I S ORDERED t h a t a copy of t h i s o r d e r be pub]-ished i n The -- Montana - - . Lawyer . . . . p u b l i s h e d by t h e S t a t c B a r of Montana. Should any member d e s i r e t~ e x p r e s s h i s views t h e r e o n , t h e C o ~ l r t w i l l be p l e a s e d t o a c c e p t any such comments, i n w r i t i n g , f i L e d i n s i x c o p i e s w i t h t h e c h i e f j u s t i c e on o r b e f o r e t h e 1st day of J u n e , 1981. DATED t h i s day of """q 1981 . s' Ckilef J u s t i c e . # ,/ I