My State, My Judges. . .

 

Under new Republican rule, the Montana Governor Gianforte gets to pick his own judges across the state as vacancies open up. This idea was hatched by him and sold to the Republican-controlled State Legislature this year. Where there used to be an impartial commission who would hand a list of possible replacements for vacated judgeships to the governor, now the governor gets to pull out his little black book of friends and pick his own replacements. 

A case in point:  Andrew Breuner, attorney in Gallatin County has been picked by Gianforte to serve a judgeship in District Court in Gallatin County. 

Breuner has served on the Petra Academy Board (a private religious school Gianforte founded) and Love In The Name Of Christ (Love Inc.) an organization that has benefited from the Gianforte Family Foundation.

During the next three years of Gianforte's term - and possibly four more years beyond that -  Montana's judicial future is in his hands. By the time he leaves, he should have stacked up many more far-right religious characters like District Court Judge Breuner. 

And we can now assume that if Gov. Gianforte ever decides to body slam another reporter in Gallatin County, his penalty will be considerably less severe than a fine and anger management therapy classes.

Paraphrasing what Sammy Davis, Jr. used to say on Rowen & Martin's "Laugh In," the governor now says,  "Here come my Judge, Here come my Judge, Order in my court room, Here come my Judge."