District judge announces retirement

Judge James Manley, who has served as a judge in 20th Judicial District Court since 2014, has announced he is retiring.

Manley announced in a letter to Gov. Greg Gianforte last week that he would be retiring as district judge effective June 1. He was first appointed to the position, which includes Sanders and Lake counties, in 2013 by Gov. Steve Bullock. Gov. Gianforte will appoint someone to fill out the remainder of Manley’s term.

The state is now accepting applications from and nominations of any lawyer in good standing who has the qualifications set forth by law for holding the position of district court judge. The application form is available at nominatejudges.mt.gov. Applications must be submitted electronically as well as in hard copy by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2022. Applications will be made available to the public.

The public will be able to provide letters of supports or other comments regarding applications through [email protected] through May 11. Applicants must receive at least three letters of support to be considered for appointment by the governor.

Judge Manley practiced law privately for 34 years in Polson, where he tried almost 200 jury trials. He also served as Deputy Lake County Attorney for one year. During his time as district court judge, he created the Drug Treatment Court for the 20th Judicial District.