Polson Commission selects new city judge

The Polson City Commission selected retired law enforcement officer Joe May as incoming city judge during a meeting last Wednesday, June 26. There were four candidates for the job, including incumbent judge Mike Larson, retired Lake County chief juvenile probation officer Barbara Monaco, and head of maintenance for Lake County, Dale Ramesar.

Jordan Crosby, a Great Falls attorney hired this spring by the city to oversee the process of appointing a new judge, was in the midst of outlining the voting process when she was alerted by Commissioner Lisa Rehard to a pertinent email that had recently arrived.

Pausing for a moment to read it, Crosby then announced that Judge Larson was withdrawing his application for the position. That email had arrived at 5:06 p.m., she said, and the meeting began at 6 p.m.

According to Crosby, Larson’s withdrawal meant that the commission should no longer consider or publicly discuss a six-page memo from City Manager Ed Meece, who was participating in the meeting via Zoom. According to Meece, the memo shared “some of my observations and concerns about reappointment of our current city judge.”

In light of Larson’s withdrawal, Crosby recommended that the memo not be discussed on the record since Larson was no longer an applicant.

Mayor Eric Huffine invited the remaining three candidates – May, Monaco and Ramesar – to speak. Only May was present.

He highlighted his education, training and experience, which includes a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice management, advanced coursework and “hundreds of hours of continued professional training,” and his experience as a supervisor and manager. He served most recently as deputy chief of police in the Simi Valley Police Department, where he oversaw a force of 120 officers.

He also noted that his lack of history with the community could be a plus in terms of the impartiality expected of judges.

“I bring to the process a unique trait that sets me apart from the other candidates,” he told the commission. “I have no connection to the city, the county or the state governments here in Montana. I'm not personal friends with anybody or with any of the decision makers here today.”

Before casting votes, Rehard spoke on behalf of Monaco, and the 38 years she spent as an officer of the court, “which gives her an unusual amount of experience and qualifications for this job. She basically did the kind of work that we would be expecting her to do here.”

She also believed Monaco could contribute an awareness of other services – including counseling, anger management and drug rehabilitation – that could be used to help those people appearing before the judge.

Mayor Huffine said May’s appearance before the commission influenced his choice. “I'm thoroughly impressed that Mr. May came to finish the process and showed up,” he said. “That holds a lot of merit with me.”

May received four votes, Monaco, two, and Ramesar, one.

The commission then unanimously voted to have Huffine sign a contract with May to begin his duties July 1, with an annual salary of $33,500 for an estimated 30 hours per week. His term will conclude Dec. 31, 2027.

In prior proceedings, the commission had voted – at Crosby’s recommendation – to begin selecting a judge via election instead of appointment. That process begins with the next municipal election cycle in 2027.

At the close of the meeting, Commissioner Jen Ruggless congratulated May, and the thanked other applicants for their interest. “I think that we've really done a good job for the city here and we should be moving forward on other things besides the city judge,” she said.

Commissioner Laura Dever expressed appreciation to Crosby for her help navigating the “unusual and complicated” process.

Commissioner Carolyn Pardini was less enthused. “I guess I don't have as positive a feeling about this process as some people do,” she said. “It's been extremely distasteful to me, and I'm glad it's finished.”

She asked for a future accounting of the cost of hiring outside counsel, while also expressing her appreciation to Crosby. “I'm super glad Jordan was around to lead the charge,” she said. “I think we would have been foundering without you, my dear.”

A life in public service

After the meeting, May said he’s been looking for a way to put his 37 years in law enforcement to use since he moved to Montana from California in 2019.

“I spent my entire adult life in service to others,” he said. “And I wanted to find something where I could do that here in Montana.”

When COVID struck, he put his yen for public service on the backburner, but when the city advertised for the position of judge this spring, it caught his eye. “Being able to administer justice was always something I was interested in.”

Although his new role begins July 1, he has some homework to do before taking the bench.

According to Montana law, all newly elected or appointed limited court judges must pass a certification test within six months of taking office. Judges are also required to attend two judicial training sessions annually and complete 15 hours of continuing judicial education each year.

May is trying to get a head start on his new job by reading the Montana Constitution and studying local laws, the Montana Code Annotated and sentencing guidelines. His court is tasked with overseeing violations of city ordinances and small claims valued at less than $5,000.