Water judge applicant comments sought
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News from Montana’s Judicial Nomination Commission
BOZEMAN — Douglas John Ritter has reapplied for the position of associate water judge. The Judicial Nomination Commission is now soliciting public comment on Mr. Ritter’s application. The application may be viewed through a link available at http://www.courts. mt.gov. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016.
The Montana Water Court, located in Bozeman, was created by the 1979 Montana Legislature. The court has exclusive jurisdiction over the adjudication of all water rights claims in Montana. The associate judge of the Montana Water Court is appointed by the chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court. This judgeship is not subject to general election. Public comment is an extremely important part of the appointment process, especially given that Montanans do not have an opportunity to vote on the associate judge position. The Judicial Nomination Commission welcomes public comment, either in writing (e-mail or paper) or via telephone. These comments, which become part of the applicant’s file, will be posted on the commission’s web page and forwarded to Chief Justice Mike McGrath. Public comment may be submitted to: Judicial Nomination Commission c/o Lois Menzies Office of Court Administrator P.O. Box 203005 Helena, MT 59620-3005 mtsupremecourt@mt.gov
After reviewing the application and public comment and interviewing the applicant, if necessary, the commission will forward Mr. Ritter’s name to the chief justice for consideration for reappointment. If reappointed, Mr. Ritter is subject to Senate confirmation during the 2017 legislative session. He will serve a four-year term if confirmed. Judicial Nomination Commission members are District Judge Richard Simonton of Glendive; Jan Bishop of Missoula; Karl Englund of Missoula; Elizabeth Halverson of Billings; Hal Harper of Helena; Lane Larson of Billings; and Nancy Zadick of Great Falls.
