Title: MATTER OF RULES ON DISQUALIFICATION
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: --
State: Montana
Issuer: Montana Supreme Court
Date: April 6, 1976

I N T H E S U P R E M E COURT OF THE STATE O F M O N T A N A RE: RULES O F THE S U P R E M E COURT: O R D E R - . , % , . j c h . . ;. ,j . &At: apftey L . . , ; : . ' Cz, f t)F"REIME CO',a:i"i PER CURIAM: Pursuant t o t h e power placed i n t h i s Court by A r t i c l e V I I , Section 2 , of t h e Constitution of t h e S t a t e of Montana, t h e Court has undertaken a study with reference 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 Court now proposes t o adopt t h e following r u l e : DISQUALIFICATION AND SUBSTITUTION O F JUDGES Any j u s t i c e , judge, or j u s t i c e of t h e peace m 2 s t n o t sit o r a c t 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 he is i n t e r e s t e d ; 2. When he i s r e l a t e d t o e i t h e r p a r t y by consaguinity o r a f f i n i t y within t h e s i x t h degree, computed according t o t h e r u l e s of law; 3 . When he has been a t t o r n e y or counsel f o r e i t h e r party i n t h e a c t i o n o r proceeding, o r when he rendered or made t h e judgment, order o r decision appealed from; 4 . I n a d i s t r i c t c o u r t , when a motion f o r a s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge has been f i l e d , I n a c i v i l case, each adverse p a r t y i s e n t i t l e d t o t w o s u b s t i t u t i o n s of a judge. I n a criminal c a s e , t h e s t z t e and each defendant is e n t i t l e d t o one s u b s t i t u t i o n of a j udqe . 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 l 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 o n reading a s follows: "The undersigned 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 c o u r t s h a l l immediately give noticethereof t o 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 l i n g t h i s s a i d 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 a c t i n t h e 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 t h e calendar. When a, case i s f iLed i.n a multi-judge dis.t.rict, it slza3.l be t h e duty of t h e c l e r k of c o u r t t o stamp the name of the judge to which t h e case i s assigned on t h e f a c e of t h e summons, order t.o show cause, o r informat.iorl and a l l copies t.hereof. whenever a judge is assigned a case f o r t e n consecutive days and t h e a t t o r n e y s of record on both s i d e s have knowledge of t h e assignment f o r t h a t period of t i m e , and i f during t h i s time 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 e d a g a i n s t him, a11 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 waivecl by a l l p a r t i e s , unless t h e presiding judge d i s q u a i i f i e s himself t h e r e a f t e r i n which case 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 t e n day period s t a r t s running anew, Whenever an acceptance of j u r i s d i c t i o n i s f i l e d by a new judge it s h a l l be t h e duty of t h e c l e r k of c o u r t , forthwith, t o mail a copy thereof by c e r t i f i e d mail with r e t u r n r e c e i p t re- quested, t o a l l a t t o r n e y s of record. Service thereof may a l s o be made by d e l i v e r y of a copy personally, o r by g e t t i n g a writzt-en r e c e i p t from t h e a t t o r n e y s t h e r e f o r , Proof of service, however made, s h a l l be stapled t o t h e acceptance of j u r i s d i c t i o n , so served, i n s a i d f i l e , 5 % I n a justice" oourt, when eit.her party makes an% f i l e s an a f f i d a v i t t h a t he cannot have a Eair and impartial t r i a l before such j u s t i c e , by reason of the i n t e r e s t , prejudice o r b i a s of t h e j u s t i c e . Each adverse p a r t y i s e n t i t l e d t o f i l e one such clisquali- f i c a t i o n in. a c i v i l o r criminal case. When such a disqualifying a f f i d a v i t i s f i l e d , t h e justice named s h a l l have no f u r t h e r power t o a c t i n t h e c a s e , other than t o c a l l i n another j u s t i c e from t h e same county, o r from an adjoining county i f t h e r e i s no other j u s t i c e a v a i l a b l e i n t h e same county, t o hear t h e case. 6 - When he has been d i s q u a l i f i e d f o r cause a s h e r e i n a f t e r described : Whenever a party t o any proceeding i n any Court 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 judge o r j u s t i c e of t h e peace before whom t h e 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 , such judge o r j u s t i c e of t h e peace s h a l i proceed no f u r t h e r t h e r e i n , but another judge o r j u s t i c e of t h e peace s h a l i be assigned t o hear such d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n proceeding by the chief j u s t i c e of t h e Supreme Court, o r by a d i s t r i c t judger i f the 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. 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 reasons f o r t h e b e l i e f t h a t b i a s o r prejudice e x i s t s , and s h a l l be f i l e d not l e s s than twent:.y days before t h e o r i g i n a l d a t e of t r i a l , o r good cause s h a l l be shown f o r f a i l u r e t o f i l e it within such time, It s h a l l be ac- companied by a c e r t i f i c a t e of counsel of record s t a t i n g t h a t i S : i s made i n good f a i t h . 7 . When a new t r i a l i s ordered i n any case, whether by order of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t o r t h e Supreme Court, each adverse p a r t y shal.1 be e n t i t l e d t o fi1.e one motion f o r s u b s t i t u t i o n o f a judge i n t h e manner provided i n paragraph 4 , whether o r not t h a t p a r t y has previously f i l e d motions f a r s u b s t i t u t i o n of a judge. Such motions must be f i l e d : a , I f t h e new t r i a l has been ordered by t h e dis-" t r i c t c o u r t , within 1 0 days a f t e r t h e time f o r appealing the order has elapsed, b. I f t h e new t r i a l has been ordered by t h e Supreme Court, within 1 0 days 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 has been received by t h e respective 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 . 8. The provisions of t h i s r u l e s h a l l not apply t o any person i n any cause involving a d i r e c t contempt of court if a person i s charged with i n d i r e c t contempt of c o u r t , t h e judge of t h e c o u r t a g a i n s t which the contempt i s alleged t o have been committed s h a l l n o t i f y t h e chief j u s t i c e of t h e Supreme Court, who s h a l l appoint a judge of another d i s t r i c t t o hear and decide t h e charge, 9 . This r u l e supersedes and i s t o be used t o t h e exclu- sion of s e c t i o n s 93-901, 93-25106 ( 4 ) , 93-2907, 93-63602 ( 2 ) and 95-1709, K.C.M. 1 9 4 7 . It i s t h e i n t e n t i o n of the Court t o make t h i s r u l e e f f e c - t i v e on Ju1.y 1, 1 9 7 6 , it t o apply t o a l l a c t i o n s f i l e d on o r af t o r t h a t d a t e , In order t h a t members of t h e benc:h and bar may have an opportunity t o f a m i l i a r i z e themselves with the r u l e I T SS ORDERED t h a t a copy of t h i s order be published i n t h e Bar Rull.etin of t.he S t a t e Bar of Montana. Should any member d e s i r e t o express h i s views thereon t h e Court w i l l be pleased t o accept any such comments, i n writing, f i l e d i n s i x copies with t h e chief j u s t i c e on o r before May 3.4, 1 9 7 6 . DATED t h i s 6th day of A p r i l , 1 9 7 6 .