by Michael J. Marino
From top-left to bottom-right, the 4 applicants to fill the District Court judge vacancy in Yellowstone County: Alexander Roth, Michelle Sullivan, Bradley Kneeland, Thomas Pardy.
As Judge Michael Moses announced his retirement from the bench, effective July 1, Governor Greg Gianforte is now seeking public comment regarding four applicants who might be appointed to take his place on the 13th Judicial District Court of Yellowstone County.
Montana law requires the Governor to solicit applications to fill a Judge’s position after receiving notice of a current Judge’s resignation from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Next, the Governor must ask the public for comments on the applicants.
As of news time Wednesday, four lawyers have applied to fill the vacancy: Bradley Kneeland, Thomas Pardy, Alexander Roth, and Michelle Sullivan.
Bradley Kneeland has worked as a law clerk, a public defender, a deputy Billings City Attorney and most recently as a Standing Master in Yellowstone County. As a Standing Master, he mediates cases on behalf of other Judges in the 13th District. During his time as a prosecutor for the City of Billings, Kneeland mostly worked misdemeanor domestic violence cases. As a public defender he represented defendants in both misdemeanor and felony criminal cases.
In his application, Kneeland wrote, “The foundation of my legal career has been one rooted in a deep and abiding commitment to public service and to the idea of giving back to my community.” Further, he wrote the three most important qualities of a District Court Judge he believes are continued education, promptness of decisions, and patience.
by Michael J. Marino
NorthWestern Energy (NWE) says they plan to appeal a recent court decision which vacates the company’s air quality permit for the Yellowstone County Generating Station, a gas-powered energy plant, which was under construction near Laurel prior to the ruling.
District Court Judge Michael Moses issued the ruling April 6, after Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) and the Sierra Club filed suit against NWE and Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in October 2021. The lawsuit challenges DEQ’s decision to give NWE an air quality permit for the proposed station, citing concerns from several neighbors who live and work near the site.
According to the initial complaint, the generation station “would contribute to regional air quality problems, risk water contamination… and cause significant greenhouse gas pollution that contributes to climate change.” The Court’s decision invalidates the permit and requires NorthWestern Energy to stop construction of the generating station along the Yellowstone River in Laurel.
The concerned neighbors formed a group called Thiel Road Coalition (TRC), named after the street most of the members live off of in Laurel, to formally take a stand against the utility building a methane gas plant in the area.
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