On Thursday, March 21, 2024, the Daily Montanan reported that Montana District Court Judge Deborah Christopher had tendered her resignation from the bench. Judge Christopher had served Lake and Sanders counties for nearly 24 years but faced intense scrutiny in recent months.

In a March 15th letter to Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath, Judge Christopher cited her privilege of serving the citizens of her district but announced her resignation would take effect on April 5th. The letter reflected on her career accomplishments as the first female judge in the 20th Judicial District as well as a former Army officer and Lake County Attorney.

However, Judge Christopher’s tenure had come under fire for her handling of a child custody case early last year. In January, the Montana Supreme Court removed her from the case after she unexpectedly changed custody of a child from the primary caretaker to the father, without any request or allegation of wrongdoing from either parent. Judge Christopher was also heard referring to the mother as a “bitch” in discussions with staff after a hearing.

These actions led attorney Lance Jasper to file a judicial misconduct complaint against Judge Christopher on behalf of the mother. Jasper confirmed on Thursday that he was happy to see the judge resign rather than continue on the bench. However, he expressed disappointment that her resignation means all pending complaints will be dismissed without a determination of wrongdoing.

Additionally, the Judicial Standards Commission brought a separate formal complaint against Judge Christopher earlier this year for chronically missing work without providing adequate notice or arrangements for defendants. This jeopardized individuals’ rights to speedy trials and due process under the law. In another case, the state health department also sought the judge’s recusal due to alleged bias.

With multiple investigations and complaints pending, Judge Christopher fell under the scrutiny of Montana’s judicial oversight authorities. Her resignation allows her to avoid further disciplinary actions or findings of misconduct. However, as attorney Jasper noted, it also denies victims like the mother in the custody case the opportunity to see any substantive conclusions from the complaints against Judge Christopher.

Going forward, Governor Greg Gianforte will oversee filling the impending vacancy on the district court bench per state law. Interested applicants will have the chance to apply for the remainder of Judge Christopher’s term, which ends on the first Monday in January 2025.

 

 

Source: Daily Montanan