I was honored to serve Montana in law enforcement for over 42 years, first as a juvenile probation officer for the Fourth Judicial District and chief probation officer for the Seventh Judicial District, then as Dawson County sheriff, and finally as U.S. marshal for Montana. I saw the good, the bad, and the ugly throughout those decades, but one thing was consistent: whether within the court system or as sheriff, I worked with some of the highest-quality judges in Montana.
If one serves that long in law enforcement, one’s going to disagree with a judge’s decision a time or two. That’s okay. But I always knew judges were first and foremost committed to upholding the law and the Constitution, interpreting cases and offering judgments in a fair, impartial way. That’s why we need Constitutional Initiative 132: to keep politics and the money it runs on out of our courts.
One area of our justice system I care deeply about is family and youth court. Whether it’s child custody cases, youth in crisis, or a delinquent youth, the decision judges make can impact the course of a child’s life. Sadly, this is an area of our justice system with all kinds of room for political bias. A judge who is fair and impartial will try to find the best outcome for a child or a family. A judge should never allow political bias to influence his or her decision about how a child is treated.
We would never expect a law enforcement officer to treat you based on your political affiliation. If you get pulled over for a traffic stop, an officer will ask to see your driver’s license and proof of insurance. What if they also asked you whether you were a Democrat or a Republican? You wouldn’t want a judge ruling on your case to ask that, either. There is no room for politics at any level of our justice system.
Our judges are elected to call balls and strikes, not rig the game. Courts are supposed to be fair to everyone who stands before them, no matter what they’re worth or who they know. I saw judges rule fairly on all kinds of cases over 42 years in law enforcement. If we add politics to the mix, we hurt everyday Montanans who just want a fair shake. That’s what CI-132 protects: judicial elections free of politics so our judges remain fair, impartial, and accountable to the law.
Please join me in voting yes on CI-132 this November so we can protect our tradition of elected judges based on their record and qualifications and keep politics out of our justice system.
Craig Anderson is a former Dawson County sheriff and U.S. marshal.