16 May 2022 — 0728 mdt
Flathead Memo endorses Ingrid Gustafson
for another term on the Montana Supreme Court
By James Conner
Two eight-year nonpartisan positions on the Montana Supreme Court are on the 6 June primary ballot.
Bill D’Alton is challenging incumbent Jim Rice for Position One. Both will advance to the general election.
James Brown and Michael McMahon are challenging incumbent Ingrid Gustafson for Position Two. Only two will advance to the general election.
If you value experience, a deep knowledge of the law, a profound respect for Montana’s constitution, an unwavering commitment to justice, an uncommon enthusiasm for improving Montana’s courts, and a compassionate appreciation of humankind’s predicament, vote for Gustafson. She’s far and away the most qualified of the three running for the associate justice position she now holds.
The daughter of professional psychologists, Gustafson, 60, was born in Wyoming and moved to Billing, Montana as a child. After graduating from high school with honors, she attended Montana State University on an alpine ski racing scholarship. She earned a B.S. in business marketing, then earned her law degree from the University of Montana.
Her legal career is a textbook example of how a lawyer should prepare for a career on the bench. From her website:
Prior to taking the bench in 2004, Justice Gustafson practiced law for 16 years maintaining a broad-based private practice that included state and federal criminal defense, personal injury, and domestic relations cases. In 2011, Justice Gustafson started the 13th Judicial District’s felony drug court as well as a pilot court in the area of child dependency. She is past President of the Montana Judges Association and in 2017 served as a Commissioner on the Montana Justice Reinvestment Project. She also serves on the 21st Century Child and Family Well-Being Appellate Judicial Peer Group, Montana’s Court Improvement Program which focuses on improving Montana’s child welfare court processes, the Center for Effective Public Policy’s Practitioner Network on Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research, the National Center for State Courts Evidence-Based Sentencing Judicial Peer Group, Montana’s Pretrial Advisory Committee, and the State Bar’s Fee Arbitration and Bench-Bar Relations Committees.
Gustafson served 14 years as a district court judge in Yellowstone County’s 13th judicial district, winning three elections after being appointed to the bench in 2004 by Republican Gov. Judy Martz. In 2017, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock appointed her to the supreme court after associate justice Mike Wheat retired. She won her retention election in 2018 and now seeks a full eight-year term.
Saturday, I spoke with Gustafson at some length. What struck me most were her concern for the stress our courts put on Jill and Joe litigant, and her efforts to reduce that stress, and her enthusiasm for improving our courts. Those are rare qualities that Montanans should treasure and return to their highest court.