Montana Case Commentaries

Montana Supreme Court Bars Compelled Two‑Way Video Appearance After Valid Waiver; Successive Commitment Petitions Not Barred by Preclusion — Matter of T.W. (2025 MT 225)

Date: Oct 10, 2025

Montana Supreme Court Bars Compelled Two‑Way Video Appearance After Valid Waiver; Successive Commitment Petitions Not Barred by Preclusion — Matter of T.W. (2025 MT 225) Introduction In Matter of...

Nonprecedential Affirmance of HRC Retaliation Dismissals: Rebutted Presumption and Harmless Procedural Error Under MAPA (Vaccaro v. Three Forks Area Ambulance Service)

Date: Oct 10, 2025

Nonprecedential Affirmance of HRC Retaliation Dismissals: Rebutted Presumption and Harmless Procedural Error Under MAPA Case: Vaccaro v. Three Forks Area Ambulance Service, 2025 MT 230N (Mont. Oct....

Post-Habeas Removal of Illegal Restitution Is Not a Resentencing: The Oral–Written Sentence Rule Does Not Apply — Woods v. Wead (Mont. 2025)

Date: Oct 10, 2025

Post-Habeas Removal of Illegal Restitution Is Not a Resentencing: The Oral–Written Sentence Rule Does Not Apply — Woods v. Wead (Mont. 2025) Introduction In Woods v. Wead (Mont. Oct. 7, 2025), the...

Montana Supreme Court Authorizes Community Justice Workers to Provide Limited Legal Services in Justice and City Courts

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Montana Supreme Court Authorizes Community Justice Workers to Provide Limited Legal Services in Justice and City Courts Introduction In administrative docket AF 11-0765, the Supreme Court of Montana...

Plain-View Hazards on Icy Roads: Comparative Negligence for the Jury; No Default Spoliation for Pre‑Notice Telematics Loss

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Plain-View Hazards on Icy Roads: Comparative Negligence for the Jury; No Default Spoliation for Pre‑Notice Telematics Loss Introduction In Fahrnow v. E-5 Oilfield Services, 2025 MT 220, the Montana...

Street-Time Credit Cannot Be Denied for Restitution Nonpayment Without a DOC-Set Payment Schedule and Specific, Recorded Violations: State v. Powell (2025 MT 218)

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Street-Time Credit Cannot Be Denied for Restitution Nonpayment Without a DOC-Set Payment Schedule and Specific, Recorded Violations Commentary on State v. Powell, 2025 MT 218 (Mont. Sept. 30, 2025)...

Richeson and the Limits of Plain-Error Review: Highlighting Unrebutted Expert Evidence Is Not Burden Shifting; Record‑Silent IAC Claims Belong in Postconviction Proceedings

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Richeson and the Limits of Plain-Error Review: Highlighting Unrebutted Expert Evidence Is Not Burden Shifting; Record‑Silent IAC Claims Belong in Postconviction Proceedings Case: State v. L....

Established Facts, Not Volume: Jackson v. State Clarifies Montana’s § 46‑21‑104(1)(c) Threshold for Ineffective-Assistance Postconviction Petitions and Expert-Witness Claims

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Established Facts, Not Volume: Jackson v. State Clarifies Montana’s § 46‑21‑104(1)(c) Threshold for Ineffective-Assistance Postconviction Petitions and Expert-Witness Claims Court: Supreme Court of...

Reaffirming Montana’s Ariegwe Speedy‑Trial Framework: Defendant‑Caused Continuances Control the Balance; Evidence‑Anchored “Guilt” Statements in Closing Are Not Plain Error

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Reaffirming Montana’s Ariegwe Speedy‑Trial Framework: Defendant‑Caused Continuances Control the Balance; Evidence‑Anchored “Guilt” Statements in Closing Are Not Plain Error Introduction This...

No Second Bite at the Apple under Montana’s MHRA: Exclusive Administrative Pathways, Strict 30/90-Day Deadlines, and Mailing Suffices for Due-Process Notice

Date: Oct 1, 2025

No Second Bite at the Apple under Montana’s MHRA: Exclusive Administrative Pathways, Strict 30/90-Day Deadlines, and Mailing Suffices for Due-Process Notice Note: The Montana Supreme Court designated...

Reverse Adverse Possession of Ditch Easements Requires Uniform, Conspicuous Exclusion; “Prevailing Party” Fees Under § 70‑17‑112, MCA, Turn on Statutory Claims Alone

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Reverse Adverse Possession of Ditch Easements Requires Uniform, Conspicuous Exclusion; “Prevailing Party” Fees Under § 70‑17‑112, MCA, Turn on Statutory Claims Alone Introduction In Apecella v....

Clarifying Brady’s “Reasonable Probability” Standard and the Use of Supervisory Control to Prevent a Second Trial Under a Mistake of Law

Date: Sep 25, 2025

Clarifying Brady’s “Reasonable Probability” Standard and the Use of Supervisory Control to Prevent a Second Trial Under a Mistake of Law Introduction This supervisory-control proceeding arises from a...

Supervised Visitation Conditioned on Rehabilitation Programs Upheld Under Best-Interest Review in Nonprecedential Memorandum Decision

Date: Sep 25, 2025

Supervised Visitation Conditioned on Rehabilitation Programs Upheld Under Best-Interest Review in Nonprecedential Memorandum Decision Case: In re the Parenting of J.E.B. & B.L.B., 2025 MT 216N (Mont....

State v. Post: Montana Supreme Court Requires On-the-Record Ability-to-Pay Findings for Criminal Fines and Surcharges; Oral Pronouncement Controls Over Written Judgment

Date: Sep 25, 2025

State v. Post: Mandatory Ability-to-Pay Findings for Fines, Fees, and Surcharges; Oral Sentence Controls Introduction In State v. Post, 2025 MT 215 (Mont. Sept. 23, 2025), the Montana Supreme Court...

Exhaust-Local-Then-Random: Montana’s New Contiguous-Pool Protocol for Assigning Substituted District Judges Under SB 41

Date: Sep 13, 2025

Exhaust-Local-Then-Random: Montana’s New Contiguous-Pool Protocol for Assigning Substituted District Judges Under SB 41 Introduction In AF 09-0289, the Supreme Court of Montana announced a revised...

No “Private Areas” Exception: Montana Supreme Court Reaffirms That Probation Home Visits—Including Bedroom Walkthroughs—Are Not Searches

Date: Sep 10, 2025

No “Private Areas” Exception: Montana Supreme Court Reaffirms That Probation Home Visits—Including Bedroom Walkthroughs—Are Not Searches Case: State v. Manyhides, 2025 MT 204 (Mont. Sept. 9, 2025)...

Implied Consent Opens the Door: Montana Supreme Court Affirms Post‑Trial Amendment and Third‑Party Parental Interest Under § 40‑4‑228, MCA (Marriage of Rehbein & Paddock, 2025 MT 201)

Date: Sep 10, 2025

Implied Consent Opens the Door: Montana Supreme Court Affirms Post‑Trial Amendment and Third‑Party Parental Interest Under § 40‑4‑228, MCA Case: In re the Marriage of Rehbein and Paddock (2025 MT...

No Amendment After Final Adjudication: Montana’s Strict Bar on Successive Post‑Conviction Petitions and the Narrow Actual‑Innocence Exception

Date: Sep 10, 2025

No Amendment After Final Adjudication: Montana’s Strict Bar on Successive Post‑Conviction Petitions and the Narrow Actual‑Innocence Exception Nonprecedential Note: This is a memorandum opinion under...

Ascertainability Is Not a Mandatory Prerequisite Under Montana Rule 23: Predominance and Early-Stage Deference Affirmed in Allied Waste v. LH Residential

Date: Sep 10, 2025

Ascertainability Is Not a Mandatory Prerequisite Under Montana Rule 23: Predominance and Early-Stage Deference Affirmed in Allied Waste v. LH Residential Introduction In Allied Waste v. LH...

Kessler and the Due Process Floor at Sentencing: No Resentencing Absent Reliance on Materially False Information; Clerical Correction of Offense Level under § 45-6-301(7)(b)(i), MCA

Date: Sep 10, 2025

Kessler and the Due Process Floor at Sentencing: No Resentencing Absent Reliance on Materially False Information; Clerical Correction of Offense Level under § 45-6-301(7)(b)(i), MCA Court: Supreme...