Candidates win races uncontested

Three reelected candidates ran unopposed this past election: 20th District Judge James Manley, Clerk of District Court Candy Fisher and Denley Loge, State Representative for District 14. The Ledger recently reached out to these candidates for more on what the public can expect from them during this term.

Judge Manley provided information about his career and experiences leading up to it. He is a University of Montana and Lewis and Clark Law School graduate and admitted to the Montana Bar in 1978. While practicing law privately for 34 years in Polson, from 1979 to 2013, he tried almost 200 jury trials. He also served as Deputy Lake County Attorney for one year.

He received accolades when appointed as Montana Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2009 and serves as President of the Montana Trial Lawyers Association. American Board of Trial Advocates member and claimed a spot on the International Society of Barristers, an honor society for the best trial lawyers.

His current position as District Court Judge began in 2014 after he was appointed to the bench by Gov. Steve Bullock in 2013 for the 20th Judicial District (Lake and Sanders counties). “In seven years on the bench, I have handled about 5,000 criminal and civil cases,” Manley stated. “I created the 20th Judicial District Drug Treatment Court, which has graduated about 50 people who were diverted from the criminal justice system and incarceration to productive, law-abiding citizens, and save the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

At the time of print, responses were not yet received by Fisher and Loge.