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Jeffrey H. Langton
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Jeffrey H. Langton was a district court judge for the 21st District Court in Montana.[1] Langton retired in April 2019.[2]
Biography
Langton received both his undergraduate degree and J.D. from the University of Montana.[3] He worked as an attorney in private practice for 14 years.[4]
Elections
2016
Montana held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on June 7, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 14, 2016.[5] Both candidates advanced from the primary election. Incumbent Jeffrey H. Langton defeated Robert Myers in the Montana District 21 (Department 1) general election.[6]
| Montana District 21 (Department 1), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jeffrey H. Langton Incumbent |
60.75% | 12,697 |
| Robert Myers | 39.25% | 8,203 |
| Total Votes | 20,900 | |
| Source: Montana Secretary of State, "2016 General Election Results," accessed November 10, 2016 | ||
2010
- See also: Montana judicial elections, 2010
Langton was re-elected to the 21st District Court after running unopposed. By Montana law, when an incumbent judge is unopposed in an election, the election becomes a retention election.[7][8]
Noteworthy events
Man seeks to make misconduct complaint against Langton public (2014)
Dean Cox, a former candidate for the U.S. Senate, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana arguing he should be able to make public a misconduct complaint he filed against Judge Langton in 2013 without fear of prosecution. A misconduct complaint filed with the Montana Judicial Standards Commission is, as a rule, kept confidential unless it is sent to the Montana Supreme Court for review.[9]
Federal U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen held in favor of Cox, who had argued the rule restricted his right to free speech under the 1st Amendment. Cox stated in the complaint that Judge Langton had violated the Montana Code of Judicial Conduct when Langton was presiding over a family law dispute between Cox and the mother of his child. Cox hoped to use the contents of the complaint to campaign for a recall of Langton or against Langton in his possible 2016 re-election bid. He also hoped to argue that the Montana Judicial Standards Commission failed to perform a thorough investigation into the claims listed in the complaint.[9]
Judge Christensen issued an injunction allowing Cox to make his complaint public in October 2014.[9][10] Langton had been publicly reprimanded in 2005 for an alcohol-related conviction.
Langston was arrested in February 2005 for drunken driving, with a blood alcohol content more than double the legal limit. He pleaded guilty and was ordered not to enter bars and casinos, or to drink alcohol for one year. Three months later, he was reportedly found passed out near his hotel room. In September 2005, Judge Patricia Sanders gave Langton a 10-day suspended sentence. She placed him on probation. He was again prohibited from drinking alcohol or from entering bars or casinos. Sanders also required Langton to install an alcohol interlock device on his car for one year.[11]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Montana Judicial Branch, "21st District Court," accessed October 7, 2014
- ↑ NBC Montana, "Judge Langton announces plans to retire," November 16, 2018
- ↑ Martindale.com, "Judge Profile: Jeffrey H. Langton," accessed October 7, 2014
- ↑ Ravalli Republic, "Jeff Langton seeking re-election as judge," April 27, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 Election Calendar," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 Candidate Filing List: Non-Legislative," accessed March 21, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia.org, "Article VII, Montana Constitution, see subsection (3)," accessed October 7, 2014
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Unofficial District Court Judge Results, Nov. 2, 2010"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Great Falls Tribune, "Secret judicial misconduct proceedings challenged," October 1, 2014
- ↑ Courthouse News Service, "Complaints Against Judge Can Be Published," October 3, 2014
- ↑ Missoulian, "Supreme Court reprimands Langton," October 26, 2005
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Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Montana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Montana
State courts:
Montana Supreme Court • Montana District Courts • Montana Courts of Limited Jurisdiction • Montana Water Court • Montana Workers' Compensation Court
State resources:
Courts in Montana • Montana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Montana
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