Law Commons^™

Pretrial Justice In Out-Of-The-Way Places – Including Rural Communities In The Bail Reform Conversation, Jordan Gross

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Washington's General Rule 37 And Montana's Call For Jury Selection Reform, Ellen Boland Monroe

Montana Law Review

In April 2018, the Washington Supreme Court became the first in the nation to adopt a court rule to combat implicit bias in the jury selection process. 2 General Rule 37 (“GR 37”) eliminates the need to raise an inference of purposeful discrimination, lists presumptively invalid reasons for exercising a peremptory strike that are historically associated with racial stereotyping, and uses an objective standard to determine if race or ethnicity could be viewed as a factor in the strike. 3 These changes address growing concerns that the current framework for evaluating biased peremptory strikes has failed to combat discrimination while …

Now What? The Right To Privacy In Montana After Dobbs, Caitlin E. Borgmann

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Big Sky Shadow Docket: Noncite Opinions And The Montana Supreme Court, Blake Koemans

Montana Law Review

More than half of the Montana Supreme Court’s written opinions in 2022 carry no precedential value and cannot be cited as binding authority to a Montana court. The same is true for opinions issued in 2021, 2020, and 2019. Thousands of opinions—tens of thousands of pages, filled with the Court’s legal reasoning, factual applications, policy judgments, and practical advice—are unusable. Montana is not alone in this phenomenon as unpublished opinions constitute the majority of opinions in many other juris- dictions around the country. Consequentially, this outdated practice is impacting the law in Montana and throughout the country. Nonpublication was an …

Must We All Be Bold As Lions? Unfair Prejudice From Evidence Of Flight And Alternative Standards, Parker Streets

Montana Law Review

A dramatic escape from a rehabilitation hospital, a high-speed car chase resulting in a crash, and an admission of fleeing to avoid jail. Despite fitting the description of an action movie, State v. Strizich presented a conundrum for the Montana Supreme Court, one that created substantial disagreement among the justices on whether evidence of the defendant’s flight should be admitted at trial. One major disagreement was whether to apply the four inferences test used by the federal courts, whereby courts determine the probative value of flight evidence—and therefore, its admissibility at trial—by assessing: the degree of confidence with which four …

Apparent From The Context: The Contemporaneous Objection Rule And Montana Rule Of Evidence 103(A)(1), Lauren R. Fox

Montana Law Review

It’s a rare millennial who is not familiar with “Legally Blonde,” a movie about an unlikely law school candidate attending Harvard Law School. In her application video, Elle Woods, click-clacking along in her high heels and pink sundress, tells the camera that she “feel[s] comfortable using legal jargon in everyday life.” The audience hears a wolf whistle, and a shirtless man runs up, pats her on the backside, then runs on. She says, “I object!”, gives the camera a big smile, and continues on her way. Although this scene is clearly a comedic Hollywood creation, the legal jargon Ms. Woods …

The Severe Or Pervasive Standard In The Modern Age, Levi Kimmel

Montana Law Review

Rising racial tensions in the South following desegregation catalyzed the introduction of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (CRA). However, protections based on gender were not included until the House floor debate on the bill. Congressman Howard Smith, a staunch segregationist, introduced “sex” as a protected class in Title VII of the act as a “poison pill” meant to kill the bill.4 Title VII of the CRA—prior to Smith’s amendment—prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. Supporters of the bill feared the inclusion of sex would cause Northern Democrats allied with labor unions to abandon their support …

Significant Montana Cases, Paul Dougherty, Amy Rathke, Gordon Wallace

Montana Law Review

In the fall of 2022, the Montana Supreme Court was thrust into the national spotlight in the wake of the United States Supreme Court’s June decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Political commentators around the country closely watched the election for one of two seats on the highest court in the Treasure State, speculating as to whether the balance would tip in favor of justices likely to follow the direction of the United States Supreme Court and overturn Montana’s constitutional protection of abortion. The judicial election raised questions of partisan influence among the members of Montana’s highest …

The Montana Supreme Court – The Statistics, Monte Cole, Adam Taub

Montana Law Review

The Montana Supreme Court is Montana’s highest court. Unlike most state court systems, Montana does not have an intermediate appellate court. The Montana Supreme Court hears direct appeals from all of the district courts across the state, as well as from the Workers’ Compensation Court and the Water Court. In keeping with the trends of recent years, the Montana Supreme Court has continued to issue more than twice the number of opinions as the United States Supreme Court. Many of these opinions become binding precedent that Montana’s legal community must keep abreast of and incorporate into their practices and scholarship. …

Treasure State: Gambling Law, Lobbying, And The Case For The Expansion Of Legal Gambling In Montana, Trevor Funseth

Montana Law Review

Drive down a main road in one of Montana’s cities and you will count more casinos than gas stations. What’s more, even the gas station has a casino inside. Pass through a small town and you will likely find at least one Lucky Lil’s or Magic Diamond Casino. Montana is currently home to just under 1,400 state-licensed gambling operators and ranks fifth in the nation in casinos per capita with 1.7 casinos per thousand residents. One study used 21 different metrics including casinos per capita, lottery sales per capita, casino revenues, and gambling-related arrests per capita. Based on these metrics, …

Preview; Little Big Warm Ranch, Llc V. Doll, Noah Gipson

Montana Law Review Online

No abstract provided.

Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo V. Texas, Sawyer J. Connelly

Public Land & Resources Law Review

The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes. The Court’s decision settles a conflict around bingo stemming from a long series of conflicts between Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Texas gaming officials dating back to the 1980s. The court held the Texas Restoration Act bans only gaming on tribal lands that is also banned in Texas. This decision upholds previous caselaw that states cannot bar tribes from gaming that is not categorically banned in the state.

Environmental Defense Center V. Bureau Of Ocean Energy Management, Eliot M. Thompson

Public Land & Resources Law Review

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the district court’s grants of summary judgment and injunctive relief against BOEM for violating the ESA and CZMA. The Ninth Circuit found BOEM violated NEPA, CZMA, and the APA by failing to adequately consider the environmental impacts of well stimulation treatments. The Ninth Circuit also reversed the lower court’s grant of summary judgment against the Environmental Defense Center for their NEPA claims.

Metlakatla Indian Community V. Dunleavy, Elizabeth L. Orvis

Public Land & Resources Law Review

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the District Court of Alaska’s judgment that dismissed the Metlakatla Indian Community’s suit against Alaska’s limited entry program. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit addressed whether and to what extent the 1891 Act preserved an implied off-reservation fishing right for members of the Metlakatla Indian Community. The Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the Metlakatla Indian Community but remanded to the district court to determine the boundaries of the traditional off-reservation fishing grounds. Motions for rehearing and rehearing en banc were denied.

Minnesota Dep’T Of Nat. Res. V. Manoomin, Anna Belinski

Public Land & Resources Law Review

In 2021 manoomin (wild rice), a legally recognized person in White Earth Band tribal law, brought a case in White Earth Band of Ojibwe Tribal Court against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Wild rice brought this case against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ over its issuance of a water permit to Enbridge Inc. for the construction of the Line 3 oil pipeline. Though ultimately ruling that the Tribal Court did not have subject matter jurisdiction because the activity at issue occurred by non-Indians outside of the reservation boundaries, this case still brings a novel consideration in the tribal …

A Unique Check On Government Power: Reconceptualizing The Right To Know As A Democracy-Promoting Provision, Constance Van Kley

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

What's Past Is Prologue, Marc Racicot

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Significant Montana Cases, Moriah Williams, Zachary Stauffer

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Toward The End Of The Last Wave: The Montana State Constitution At Fifty, Robert F. Williams

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Montana's Basic Necessities Clause And The Right To Earn A Living, Anthony B. Sanders

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Browning Symposium Opening Comments, Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Constitutional Politics Of Abortion Policy After Dobbs: State Courts, Constitutions, And Lawmaking, John Dinan

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ctr. For Biological Diversity V. United States Fish & Wildlife Serv., Ali Stapleton

Public Land & Resources Law Review

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court of Arizona’s decision to deny a proposed mining plan becuase the operations exceeded the boundaries of a valid mining claim. The issue the court addressed is whether a permanent occupancy of waste rock and tailings on land, absent the discovery of valuable minerals, is a reasonable use related to mining activities. The Ninth Circuit decision effectively prevented mining companies from amending the 1872 Mining Law on the administrative record. Motions for a rehearing and a rehearing en banc were denied.

Debtor Embezzlement Of Collateral, Jonathon S. Byington

Faculty Law Review Articles

This Article is about collateral and the “embezzlement” exception to
discharge under § 523(a)(4) of the Bankruptcy Code. Under the Uniform
Commercial Code, collateral is property subject to a security interest. The
“embezzlement” exception to discharge requires a debtor fraudulently
appropriate entrusted property. A debtor fraudulently appropriates a
security interest when the debtor, in conjunction with circumstances
indicating fraud, transfers collateral or proceeds of collateral to a transferee
who takes free of the security interest. A secured party “entrusts” its
security interest to a debtor in situations where a debtor has power or
control over collateral. There is a split …

Solenex, Llc V. Haaland, Jennifer Kieffer Jensen

Public Land & Resources Law Review

In 1982, BLM issued an oil and gas lease in the Badger-Two Medicine to Solenex’s predecessor. The Badger-Two Medicine, located in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, is an area of cultural and spiritual importance to the Blackfeet Tribe. After four decades of disagreement as to whether the lease was validly issued, the Secretary of the Interior found that the lease violated the National Historic Preservation Act. Accordingly, she canceled Solenex’s lease and revoked Solenex’s Application for Permit to Drill. The District Court for the District of Columbia held the Secretary did not possess the authority to cancel Solenex’s lease. …

©Ancelling Dr. Seuss, Cathay Y. N. Smith

Faculty Journal Articles & Other Writings

Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced in March 2021 that it would no longer license or publish six of its children’s books because those books portrayed people in racist or culturally stereotypical ways. Since then, the public has learned through news reports and social media that other publishers have similarly reviewed and altered their catalogues of classic children’s works, including withdrawing them from the public, editing them to remove problematic content, or adding disclaimers to warn the public about racially insensitive or outdated content. The public reaction to Dr. Seuss’s decision and these other actions has been largely divided. Some criticized these …

Editorial Board, Montana Law Review

MLR Editorial Boards

Editors-in Chief Benjamin McKee Eric Monroe Articles Editors Brian Hagan Denise LaFontaine Spencer Pedemonte Symposium Editors Blake Koemans Lauren O’Neill Online Editor Marti Liechty Business Editor Annie Holland Managing Editor Marisa Owens Staff Monte Cole Paul Dougherty Lauren Fox Moriah Greenstein Levi Kimmel Ellen Boland Monroe Rachel Parker Kerry Roebke Zachary Stauffer Emily Steinberg Parker Streets Adam Taub Gordon Wallace Moriah Williams Callie Woody Faculty Advisor Anthony Johnstone

Law Student’S Educational Experiences And Perceptions Of Legal Abuse, Kylie K. Mckittrick, Julie Olomi

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Legal abuse is a form of abuse when an intimate partner uses the court system to further coerce and control their victim. When survivors attempt to keep themselves and their children safe by leaving their abusive partner by using the criminal-legal system, they may be at risk of further abuse, such as legal abuse. More and more research has shown that legal abuse can have severe consequences for survivors such as losing custody of their children, mental health issues like PTSD and depression, costly court cases over the years, and having to stay in contact with their abuser for the …

Umfc 140 A Comprehensive Case Report, Daniel D. Warila

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

UMFC 140 Is a teaching specimen from purchased from China assigned To Daniel Warila B.A. for the purpose of a Forensic case study. This case study covers a wide variety of forensic procedures that can be applied to these remains. The forensic procedures used consist of past as well as current procedures were applied to the remains with the resulting findings discussed and analyzed. This case study was focused on finding as many forensic answers as possible on the remains in their current condition.

Faulty Foundations: An Investigation Into Toxic Homes In The Blackfeet Nation, Kathleen Elyse Shannon

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In 2002, a class action lawsuit came out of the Blackfeet Nation. The plaintiffs were residents of a federally-funded housing project called Glacier Homes, and they were suing Blackfeet Housing and the Department of Housing and Urban Development because their homes were making them sick. The case got some local media coverage for a couple years. But it was ultimately forgotten and the plaintiffs never got a remedy.

This long-form audio project revives this story and asks listeners to think about these plaintiffs’ arguments in a modern light. The Glacier Homes offer a lens through which to think about several …