Pondera County Justice Court, Montana

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The Pondera County Justice Court resides in Montana. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...

* Jurisdiction
* Selection method

## Contents

* 1 Jurisdiction
* 2 Selection method
* 2.1 Judicial elections in Montana
* 2.2 Nonpartisan election
* 2.3 Retention election
* 3 See also
* 4 External links
* 5 Footnotes

## Jurisdiction[edit]

This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]

“  | The Courts of Limited Jurisdiction in Montana are Justice Courts, City Courts and Municipal Courts. There are 61 Justice Courts, 84 City Courts and 6 Municipal Courts. Although the jurisdiction of these courts differs slightly, collectively they address cases involving misdemeanor offenses, civil cases for amounts up to $12,000, small claims valued up to $7,000, landlord/tenant disputes, local ordinances, forcible entry and detainer, protection orders, certain issues involving juveniles, and other matters. The total caseload of these courts is about 5 times greater than that of the District Courts in Montana. Courts of Limited Jurisdiction are the courts in which most Montanans seeking justice will encounter the justice system.[2] | ”

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## Selection method[edit]

See also: Judicial selection in the states

See also: Nonpartisan election

Judges of the Montana Justice Courts are each elected to four-year terms.[3] The elections for this court are nonpartisan contested elections. To serve on this court, a judge must be a U.S. citizen and a county resident for one year.[4]

### Judicial elections in Montana[edit]

See also: Montana judicial elections

Montana is one of four states that use nonpartisan elections to initially select judges and then use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.

### Nonpartisan election[edit]

In the nonpartisan primary, the two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes advance to the general election. If only two candidates file for one judicial seat, both candidates advance to the general election.[5]

### Retention election[edit]

If an incumbent is running unopposed, the incumbent judge will appear on the ballot for retention.[6]

The ballot for a retention election reads: "Shall (insert title of officer) (insert name of the incumbent officer) of the (insert title of the court) of the state of Montana be retained in office for another term?" Voters must then answer with either "Yes" or "No."[7]

## See also[edit]

Local Courts

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Other Montana Courts

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* Courts in Montana
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## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic
* Montana courts

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Montana Judicial Branch, "Courts of Limited Jurisdiction," accessed May 18, 2023
2. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
3. ↑ Toole County, "Toole County Justice Court," accessed July 31, 2014
4. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Montana; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived October 2, 2014
5. ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2013, "Title 13, Chapter 14, Section 117," accessed March 20, 2014
6. ↑ The Billings Gazette, "3 Yellowstone County judges to seek re-election," January 19, 2012
7. ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2013, "Title 13, Chapter 14, Section 212," accessed April 28, 2014

Montana courts

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Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Montana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Montana

State courts:

Montana Supreme Court • Montana District Courts • Montana Courts of Limited Jurisdiction • Montana Water Court • Montana Workers' Compensation Court

State resources:

Courts in Montana • Montana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Montana

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