County attorney sworn in

Sanders County has a new county attorney. Jania Hatfield was sworn in Thursday by County Commissioner Tony Cox and started her new position last week. The county attorney position was open after Megan Hansen, who was appointed earlier this year, recently resigned.

Prior to moving to Sanders County, Hatfield served as a deputy county attorney for Broadwater County in Townsend. She also previously worked in Helena for the state Office of the Public Defender, and has worked for the state's Child and Family Services division.

While working in Broadwater County, Hatfield explained that the county attorney was deployed and she stepped up and took the role for about a year. "I really enjoyed it and it helped me realize I wanted to be a county attorney," the 42-year-old Hatfield said. She originally is from Oregon and graduated from the University of Oregon Law School in 2010.

Hatfield said she and her husband love living in Montana, and the opportunity to live in Western Montana and the job brought them to the area. "I love how close we are to nature, and the people are so kind," she said of Sanders County.

"I enjoy working with all the different people," Hatfield said of being an attorney. "There are a lot of people in and out of the office."

Hatfield said she has experience with all types of cases and said she did it all while she was filling in at Broadwater County. "I have worked on a variety of cases, and that's something you get to do working in a small county," she explained.

Hansen's last day as Sanders County Attorney was October 8. The next day, Suzy Boylan of Missoula was appointed as interim county attorney until Hatfield was hired. Hatfield started her new Sanders County position on October 28 and has a staff of two people. As she was appointed by the commissioners, she will have the option to run for the position in the 2026 general election. Though she has only been in Sanders County a short time, Hatfield said she does plan to run for the position in 2026.