Tucker retires: Commission seeks 5th Judicial District applications

Chief Justice Mike McGrath has notified the Judicial Nomination Commission that the Hon. Loren Tucker, district judge for the Fifth Judicial District (Beaverhead, Jefferson, and Madison Counties) will resign his position effective January 27, 2017.

The Commission is now accepting applications from 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 electronically at http://courts.mt.gov/supreme/boards/jud_nomination. Applications must be submitted electronically as well as in hard copy.

The deadline for submitting applications is 5:00 p.m., Monday, October 31, 2016. The Commission will announce the names of the applicants thereafter.

The public is encouraged to contact Commission members regarding the applicants during the public comment period, which will begin Tuesday, November 1, 2016, and close Thursday, December 1, 2016.

The Commission will forward the names of three to five nominees to the governor for appointment after reviewing the applications, receiving public comment, and interviewing the applicants if necessary. The person appointed by the governor is subject to Senate confirmation during the 2017 legislative session.

The position is subject to election in 2018. The successful candidate will serve for a six-year term.

The annual salary for the position is $126,132.

Judicial Nomination Commission members are District Judge Richard Simonton of Glendive; Janice Bishop of Missoula, Karl Englund of Missoula, Elizabeth Halverson of Billings; Hal Harper of Helena; Lane Larson of Billings; and Nancy Zadick of Great Falls.