Court Opinion

ID: 9556380
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-16 22:08:57.90781+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:01.389865
License: Public Domain

, ORIGINAL                                     08/16/2023

             IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA                               Case Number: DA 23-0242

                                         DA 23-0242

 SHIRLEY CHAMBERS-YOST,
                                                                             FILED
                                                                              AUG 1,6 2023
                Petitioner and Appellant,                                   Bowen Greenw000
                                                                          Clerk of Supreme Coun
                                                                             State of Montana

        v.
                                                                      ORDER
 MARTIN GUI-M, DPHHS, and TERRESSA
 McDANIEL,

               Respondents and Appellees.

       Before this Court is a pleading titled, Notice of Concession and Motion to Remand,
filed by counsel for the Appellees Martin Guhl and Terressa McDaniel of the Department
of Public Health and Human Services (hereinafter DPHHS).
       DPHHS puts forth that remand of the underlying matter to the Second Judicial
District Court, Butte-Silver Bow County, is proper. DPHHS provides that self-represented
Petitioner and Appellant Shirley Chambers-Yost (Chambers-Yost) sought review of
DPHHS's March 23, 2022 decision in a timely fashion, or within thirty days. DPHHS
concedes that after reviewing the facts in this record, Chambers-Yost timely filed her
Petition for Continuation of Benefits and Property ("Petition") on April 22, 2022, instead
of May 6, 2022, when the Clerk of District Court filed her Petition and other documents.
DPHHS states that the Clerk of District Court delayed stamping Chambers-Yost's papers
and Petition as filed for a total of fourteen days from April 22, 2022, until May 6, 2022,
contrary to Montana law. "If a judge . . . is not available to approve a request for a waiver
Of fees prior to filing a pleading, the pleading must be filed subject to subsequent approval."
Section 25-10-404(2), MCA. See also M. R. Civ. P. 5(d)(2)(A). DPHHS further provide's
that it recently contacted Chambers-Yost via telephone to verify the timeliness of her
Petition's filing.
Therefore, upon good cause and in light of the foregoing,
      IT IS ORDERED that DPHHS's Motion to Remand is GRANTED and this matter
is REMANDED to the Second Judicial District Court, Butte-Silver Bow County, for re-
opening and judicial review on the merits of Chambers-Yost's-Petition and pleadings.
      IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this matter is CLOSED as of this Order's date.
      The Clerk of the Supreme Court is directed to provide a copy of this Order to: the
Honorable Kurt Krueger, Second Judicial' District Court; Tom Powers,. Clerk of District
Court, Butte-Silvei Bow County, under Cause No. DV-22-103; counsel of record, and
Shirley Chambers-Yost egonally.
      DATED this         day of August, 2023.
                                                For the Court,

                                                             Chief Justice

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