HELENA — Former state workers’ compensation judge Mike Shea has been sworn in as a justice on the Montana Supreme Court.
Gov. Steve Bullock appointed Shea to fill the seat vacated when Justice Brian Morris resigned in December to become a federal judge.
Lee Newspapers of Montana reports Chief Justice Mike McGrath administered the oath of office on Monday.
Shea graduated from Butte Central and as one of six children of a widowed mother worked to pay his way through college.
Friends and former colleagues praised Shea as selfless, dedicated to justice and a bit of a long-winded storyteller.
Shea said his mother was the largest influence in his life, along with his wife and daughters.
He says he has loved practicing law, loved being a judge and was looking forward to joining the Supreme Court.
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