Opinion ID: 4519519
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Montana Common Law

Text: ¶54 Montana common law does not provide local law enforcement with the authority to make civil immigration arrests. First, it is an established principle that “there is no common law in any case where the law is declared by statute.” Section 1-1-108, MCA. The “statutes establish the law of this state respecting the subjects to which they relate.” Section 1-2-103, MCA. As discussed above, the Legislature has codified criminal and civil arrest authority and cooperation with extraterritorial jurisdictions. A law enforcement officer’s “right to arrest without a warrant . . . is vested in him by law, only under circumstances defined in [statute] and if the circumstances do not exist, thus bringing into activity the authority of law, he has no power to make the arrest.” State v. Bradshaw, 53 Mont. 96, 98, 161 P. 710, 711 (1916). Accordingly, since the Legislature has already regulated the area in question, contrary to the United States’ argument, there is no Montana common law authority for civil immigration arrests.10