Montana’s Supreme Court recently issued a ruling regarding Attorney General Austin Knudsen, dismissing a misconduct case against him while acknowledging he violated legal conduct standards in his role. The case revolved around Knudsen's actions in a dispute concerning a law enacted in 2021 that granted more power to the state’s governor over judicial appointments.
In a decision made public on Wednesday, the court recognized that Knudsen's attacks against the integrity of justices were inappropriate. A court-appointed panel had previously recommended a 90-day suspension of his license for these violations. However, the Supreme Court stated that the panel failed to uphold Knudsen's due process rights, which ultimately led to the dismissal of the misconduct charges.
Chief Justice Cory Swanson emphasized the importance of adhering to lawful court orders in his public admonition. He warned all attorneys, including Knudsen, to comply with judicial directives, thereby establishing a precedent for accountability among Montana's legal professionals. The ruling followed a lengthy legal dispute where the attorney general's office accused justices of judicial misconduct and corruption in their handling of the law that purportedly aimed at reshaping the state's judiciary to fit a conservative agenda.
A noteworthy point in the proceedings is that most justices had to recuse themselves from the case due to their involvement with Knudsen's office. The court allowed an alternative group of judges to participate in the decision-making process. While the court rejected the suggestion of a license suspension, one justice dissented, arguing that public censure and a brief suspension were warranted to preserve the integrity of the judicial system.
Knudsen, who described the complaint as a political maneuver, expressed relief over the ruling and maintained that it concluded a distracting and frivolous complaint against him.
