Judicial Independence and Separation of Powers

The Montana Supreme Court dismissed a misconduct case against Attorney General Austin Knudsen on Wednesday, finding that although he violated attorney conduct rules while defending a 2021 law expanding the governor’s power to fill judicial vacancies, a court-appointed panel violated his due process rights by barring his expert witness. The panel had recommended suspending Knudsen’s law license for 90 days over his attacks on the justices’ integrity, but Chief Justice Cory Swanson instead issued a public admonition in the court’s order, while Knudsen called the complaint a frivolous political stunt.