House Bill 693 amends Section 3-5-403 of the Montana Code Annotated to establish requirements for multijudge districts with specialized dockets. The bill allows judicial districts with more than five judges to implement rules for specialized dockets among their departments. This provision aims to enhance the efficiency and organization of court proceedings in districts with multiple judges by enabling them to tailor their operations to specific case types.

Additionally, the bill maintains the existing framework for the division of court business among judges and the assignment of judges to numbered departments. It stipulates that judges must apportion court business as equally as possible, and in cases of failure to do so, the supreme court can intervene to make the necessary assignments. The legislation emphasizes the importance of structured governance within multijudge districts while providing the flexibility to address specialized legal needs.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 3-5-403
HB0693_1(1): 3-5-403
HB0693_1(2): 3-5-403
HB0693_1(3): 3-5-403
HB0693_1(4): 3-5-403
HB0693_1(5): 3-5-403
HB0693_1(6): 3-5-403
HB0693_1: 3-5-403
HB0693_X(1): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(10): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(2): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(3): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(4): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(5): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(6): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(7): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(8): 3-5-403
HB0693_X(9): 3-5-403
HB0693_X: 3-5-403