JP race

This letter is written to inform the voters of Flathead County in the current election for the new position in Flathead County District Court.

I read in the Jan. 14 Whitefish Pilot about David Ortley submitting his name for the District Court judge position. In this article was an interesting quote from Sen. Greg Barkus stating, "Justice delayed is justice denied."

I reflected back to when I worked in the Justice Court for Judge David Ortley. I was his civil clerk in charge of all the civic filings. I remember the more than 40 cases that sat in Judge Ortley's office in the corner gathering dust. These were cases that had been tried in his court as "trial by judge." All of these cases sat without a judgment from Judge Ortley, most of them four to six years.

The litigants would call me or come in to ask if Judge Ortley had made a decision. Time and time again, I would have to inform them that, no, he had not made a judgment. I would place their cases on top of the pile hoping that might help. I would inform Judge Ortley that the litigants were in asking, and he still would not render judgment.

The cases sitting in his corner were not complex cases. They were landlord tenant issues, chickens destroying gardens, unpaid bills and the list goes on. The stack in the corner grew instead of shrinking. No decisions.

Montana Code Annotated, Rule 21, entry of judgment, states in pertinent part, (7) "After a trial by judge. When the trial is by judge, the judge shall enter judgment within 30 days."

Judge Ortley knows this rule. Yet, more than 40 cases tried in his court as a "trial by judge" sat in his corner, and may still be sitting there, undecided. This is justice delayed and, most certainly, justice denied.

The new position in Flathead County District Court was created to solve some severe deficiencies in judicial coverage and to ensure that there is not a delay in justice. The cases presented in District Court are cases with intricate and complex issues. If Judge Ortley has a hard time making a decision on simple issues, how is he going to make decisions on cases with complex issues?

My experience is first-hand with Judge Ortley. I do not write this letter with malice, I write this letter to inform you, the voter. A vote for Ortley would be a vote for justice delayed and justice denied!

Valerie Eve

Whitefish