Experienced law practitioners vie for judge seat

Two experienced Whitefish lawyers are vying to be elected Whitefish’s next municipal court judge. Longtime Whitefish attorney William Hileman is hoping to make the leap to become the city’s judge, while Whitefish City Prosecutor Kristi L. Curtis says her extensive background dealing with criminal cases makes her a great candidate for the position.

Judge Brad Johnson is retiring after more than 30 years leading the Whitefish court, opening up the vacancy. Absentee ballots go out Oct. 18 for the Nov. 7 municipal election.

Hileman has lived in Whitefish since 1977, and works as an attorney at Trieweiler, Hedman, Hileman & Lacosta in downtown Whitefish. Hileman said he has a diversity of experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, and has spent countless hours sitting in on the Whitefish Municipal Court and in Kalispell. His law office as served as Whitefish city prosecutors for more than 25 years, before his opponent Curtis took over the position in 2015.

Curtis has been the Whitefish city prosecutor for the past two years. Prior to that, she worked as a prosecutor for Kalispell’s municipal court for nearly a decade.

Curtis said DUI cases have gone up substantially since she became Whitefish’s prosecutor because she is willing to take the cases to trial.

“I’ve lost family members to DUI drivers. I take them very seriously,” Curtis said.

The Northern California native become the first and only female partner at Santa Barbara Law Firm before moving to Montana in 2000. Curtis said she worked as a lawyer remotely until passing the Montana State Bar in 2006.

“Whitefish municipal court is primarily a criminal court and that’s what I have been doing for the past 11 years,” Curtis said.

Hileman prides himself on his long-term commitment to Whitefish and the Flathead Valley.

“I have a real diversity of experience and depth of knowledge in the community,” Hileman said.

Last year, Hileman was sworn in as a substitute judge in Columbia Falls.

“After practicing law, it is invigorating to do something different. I’ve found it to be challenging and interesting,” Hileman said.

Hileman said he has an even temperment and doesn’t hold a grudge — traits he says are important for a judge. Hileman he would like to make a difference as a judge, especially with young people and first offenders. He said he would be fair and firm, and follow the law.

“It’s about making sure the punishment fits the crime and deters future wrongdoing,” Hileman said.

Whitefish prosecutor Curtis has also been getting some practice in as a substitute judge for Kalispell Municipal Court and Flathead Justice Court.

She said ideally the municipal court is the first and only time people have contact with the criminal justice system, and it’s an important time to make an impression on people.

“I always tell people it’s nice to meet you I hope I never see you again. Because that’s the goal. You really want people to take it seriously and never re-offend,” Curtis said.

She said as a prosecutor she prides on getting people back on track, aiming to hold offenders accountable without digging such a big hole (with fines etc.) that they can’t see a future for themselves.

“It’s really important to get people through what can be a difficult time in their lives. You can have a positive influence on getting people back on track,” she said.

Whitefish attorney Hileman said he would ease into the transition of municipal judge.

“I think the first thing I do before I start changing things is see the foundation of 32 years that has been built by Judge Johnson. There’s a lot of history there,” Hileman said. “I want to get in there and see exactly what’s going on and what works for me, what doesn’t work for me and what changes I would implement.”

Curtis said if she becomes the next municipal judge of Whitefish, she will embrace technology to improve the efficiency of the court system. She said right now it can be difficult to hold offenders who don’t live in the area accountable, because people from out of state can get frustrated with the court process and stop responding. She said utilizing newer means of communicating, like Skype or Facetime, can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process.

“It’s important that you allow people a more convenient way for appearances so they are held accountable,” Curtis said.

Whitefish and the greater Flathead Valley are important to both candidates.

Hileman is involved in several community organizations, and raised his family in Whitefish.

“I have worked hard and been blessed with a wonderful legal career,” Hileman said. “I want to give back to the community that has been so good to my family and me.”

Curtis said she feels priviledged to live in Whitefish.

“It’s wonderful to see a unification of people who stand together and care about each other, and have pride in their community,” she said.