Justice Court courthouse closure procedures

Effective April 10, Lake County and Sanders County Courthouses are closed to the public.

District Judges James A. Manley and Deborah Kim Christopher issued a joint Administrative Order in response to developing COVID-19 related directives by the governor, Montana Supreme Court and county commissioners with the goal to have no one come to the courthouse.

For civil cases, all filing deadlines that were due before June 1, 2020 are extended 60 days from the date previously due. All hearings and trials scheduled for before June 1, 2020 are continued without date. New dates will be scheduled at a later time. Emergency matters that cannot be continued will be handled remotely. The attorney for the party shall make those arrangements.

Lake County criminal trials scheduled for before June 1, 2020 are continued to June 8 for Judge Christopher and June 15 for Judge Manley. If any incarcerated defendant, whose trial is scheduled for before June 1, 2020, wants to have a trial earlier than June, the defendant must file a written request. The request will be addressed according to the then-existing circumstances Omnibus hearings may be waived if signed forms are filed one week before the scheduled date. Otherwise they may be continued or held remotely, to be decided on a case by case basis.

All other matters will be handled by remote appearances, to be arranged by the defendant’s attorney.