As GeeGuy says...

get out your wallets. Our Justices have had their hands slapped, and we get to pay Attorney Lawrence Anderson's legal fees.

Lawrence A. Anderson
vs
The Justice Court, City of Great Falls, Cascade County Mt. JP Jensen, JP Harris and Acting JP Donahue

"The Justice Court was proceeding in excess of its jurisdiction due to the procedural defects....."

"To the extent that Petitioner is further aggrieved by subsequent proceedings of the Justice Court, Petitioner shall seek ordinary or extraordinary review in the manner otherwise provided by law in an independently filed proceeding"

"Petitioner has properly pled and is entitled to recover attorney fees and costs as damages in this proceeding"

Respondents JP Kathleen Jensen and Acting JP James Donahue appeared pro se. JP Sam Harris did not appear personally or through counsel. Petitioner Lawrence Anderson appeared personally and through counsel Timothy Strauch. (I think that's the guy who gets your money for attorney fees.)

So the local JP's overstepped their boundaries and got caught this time. Hopefully the ones that remain will remember.

I personally think Mr. Harris should have shown up. He is still Justice of the Peace, having chosen not to resign until the end of his term. So he should be there to defend his actions.

And just a bit on that, there has been conjecture on a master plan to somehow win the election and choose not to resign, the people have spoken type thing. Well dammit people, speak. He cannot win if you do not vote for him. Simple. This is why we have elections. If you don't vote, don't bitch, because it must not mean that much to you. Easy.

I really wish we did not have our Justices in the news as much as they have been lately. I feel comfortable when I can trust that they are doing their jobs, not causing any problems. When I hear about their actions costing the county (us) money, and people talking about private habits on the street, and conjectures about things we haven't even heard about yet, and Judges violating the rights of the people who appear before them, I do not really feel comfortable with the people that are judging us. I do not feel confident that our system is working in the best interest of the people.
Mr. Anderson is a people. The ones he represents are people. Just regular folks, you may see them on the street, they go home to families much like yours, and kiss their kids, and worry about college funds, or how to pay the rent. They believe our courts should be for the people, with the wrongdoers punished and the innocent vindicated, and Judges will treat everyone with decency and respect. People need to believe the system works. Perhaps that is why the standards for judges are high, and the conduct demanded of them exemplary. So people can have confidence that the system will work.