3-10-231. Circumstances in which acting justice called in -- by whom. - Montana Statutes

     3-10-231. Circumstances in which acting justice called in -- by whom. (1) Whenever a justice of the peace is disqualified from acting in any action because of the application of the supreme court's rules on disqualification and substitution of judges, 3-1-803 and 3-1-805, the justice of the peace shall either transfer the action to another justice's court in the same county or call a justice from a neighboring county to preside.
     (2) (a) The following requirements must be met to qualify a substitute for a justice of the peace:
     (i) Within 30 days of taking office, a justice of the peace shall provide a list of persons who are qualified to hold court in the justice's place during a temporary absence when another justice or city judge is not available. The persons listed must be of good moral character and have community support, a sense of community standards, and a basic knowledge of court procedure.
     (ii) The sitting justice of the peace shall request and obtain from the commission on courts of limited jurisdiction established by the supreme court a waiver of training for the substitutes.
     (iii) Each person on the list, provided for in subsection (2)(a)(i), shall subscribe to the written oath of office as soon as possible after the person has received a waiver of training from the supreme court. The oath may be subscribed before any member of the board of county commissioners or before any other officer authorized to administer oaths.
     (b) The list of qualified substitutes, the written oath, and the commission's written approval and waiver of training for those substitutes, pursuant to subsection (2)(a)(ii), must be filed with the county clerk as provided in 3-10-202.
     (c) A county clerk may provide a current list of qualified and sworn substitutes to local law enforcement officers.
     (3) Whenever a justice is sick, disabled, or absent, the justice may call in another justice, if there is one readily available, or a city judge or a person from the list provided for in subsection (2) to hold court for the absent justice until the absent justice's return. If the justice is unable to call in a substitute, the county commissioners shall call in another justice, a city judge, or a person from the list provided for in subsection (2).
     (4) During the time when a justice of the peace is on vacation or attending a training session, another justice of the peace of the same county is authorized to handle matters that otherwise would be handled by the absent justice. When there is no other justice of the peace in the county, the justice of the peace may designate another person in the same manner as if the justice were sick or absent.
     (5) A justice of the peace of any county may hold the court of any other justice of the peace at that justice's request.

     History: (1) thru (3)En. Sec. 626, p. 168, Bannack Stat.; re-en. Sec. 732, p. 184, Cod. Stat. 1871; re-en. Sec. 792, 1st Div. Rev. Stat. 1879; re-en. Sec. 812, 1st Div. Comp. Stat. 1887; amd. Sec. 1683, C. Civ. Proc. 1895; re-en. Sec. 7081, Rev. C. 1907; re-en. Sec. 9714, R.C.M. 1921; Cal. C. Civ. Proc. Sec. 922; re-en. Sec. 9714, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 24, Ch. 491, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 17, Ch. 420, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 51, Ch. 344, L. 1977; Sec. 93-7704, R.C.M. 1947; (4)En. Sec. 62, C. Civ. Proc. 1895; re-en. Sec. 6281, Rev. C. 1907; re-en. Sec. 8835, R.C.M. 1921; Cal. C. Civ. Proc. Sec. 105; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 92, L. 1933; re-en. Sec. 8835, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 491, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 420, L. 1975; Sec. 93-403, R.C.M. 1947; R.C.M. 1947, 93-403(part), 93-7704(1); amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 482, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 317, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 150, L. 1997.