Court Opinion

ID: 9909614
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-13 19:05:53.384379+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:50:10.356801
License: Public Domain

12/13/2023

           IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                        Case Number: DA 23-0215

                                      DA 23-0215
                                   _________________

PATRICIA TAFELSKI, et al., on behalf of
themselves and all others similarly situated,

            Plaintiffs and Appellees,

      v.
                                                                 NOTICE AND
MARK JOHNSON, TAMMI FISHER,
                                                                   ORDER
            Plaintiffs, Objectors, and Appellants,
      v.

LOGAN HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER,

            Defendant and Appellee.
                                _________________

       The undersigned submits this notice to the parties in accordance with Rule 2.12(C) of
the Montana Code of Judicial Conduct and Comment [5] of that Rule.
       This appeal raises a challenge to the award of attorneys’ fees included in the Eighth
Judicial District Court’s approval of a class action settlement agreement. Though not
separately challenged on appeal, the settlement agreement also provides that, in the event of
money remaining from checks uncashed by members of the class, those remaining monies
will be distributed to the non-profit Montana Justice Foundation. In accordance with the
agreement, the District Court’s order approved the distribution of the remaining value from
the settlement fund to the Montana Justice Foundation pursuant to M. R. Civ. P. 23. I serve
as an ex officio, non-voting member of the Board of Directors of the Montana Justice
Foundation in accordance with the bylaws of that organization calling for one of the four ex
officio, non-voting director seats to be filled by a Montana Supreme Court justice.
       Given the nature of the specific issue on appeal, I do not believe that Rule 2.12(A)
requires my disqualification in this case but, as recommended by Comment [5], I disclose
this information because the parties or their lawyers might reasonably consider it relevant to
a possible motion for disqualification.
       Therefore,
       IT IS ORDERED that the parties are given ten days from the date of this order to file
with the Clerk of this Court any motion for disqualification of the undersigned on the basis
of the above disclosure. In accordance with Rule 2.12(C), if the parties and their lawyers
agree, without participation by the undersigned or by any other court personnel, that the
undersigned should not be disqualified, they should notify the Clerk in writing of their
agreement, and it shall be incorporated into the record of this appeal.
       The Clerk is directed to provide a copy of this Notice and Order to counsel for all
parties.

                                              2

                                                                                Electronically signed by:
                                                                                       Beth Baker
                                                                           Justice, Montana Supreme Court
                                                                                  December 13 2023