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Ron Waterman
Ronald F. Waterman ran for the Montana Supreme Court in 2008 and 2010.
Education
Waterman received both his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Montana in 1966 and 1969, respectively.
Career
From 1969 to 1970, Waterman clerked for the Honorable W.J. Jameson, U.S. Senior District Judge for the District of Montana. When he ran for the Supreme Court, he was a partner in the firm of Gough, Shanahan, Johnson and Waterman in Helena.[1]
Noteworthy cases
Waterman has represented a number of criminal defendants in Montana including Jimmy Ray Bromgard, a Billings, Montana man who was wrongfully convicted of raping an 8-year-old girl in 1987. Bromgard served 15 years in prison before genetic evidence exonerated him. With Waterman's help, he has since sued the state and Yellowstone County for damages. Additionally, "Waterman has represented Canyon Resources Corp., the Colorado mining company suing the state of Montana over the state’s ban on open-pit cyanide heap leach gold mining. [He] played a role in pushing for Montana’s statewide public defender system, which was created by the 2005 Legislature, and has taken a strong and public stance against Montana’s death penalty."[2]
Elections
2010 election
A seat on the Montana Supreme Court became available when Justice John Warner retired early, due to health concerns. Waterman submitted an application to the Montana Judicial Nominating Commission. The panel reviewed the applications, conducted interviews of the candidates, and recommended three to the Governor. Waterman was not one of the three recommended, but ran in the November 2010 general election regardless, losing to Michael E. Wheat.[3][4]
2008 election
Chief Justice Karla M. Gray retired from the court, leaving an open seat. Mike McGrath was elected to the court with 75.1% of the vote.[5]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Election % |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mike McGrath  |
No | Chief Justice | 75.1% | |
| Ron Waterman | No | Chief Justice | 24.8% |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Missoulian, "Former hair expert shakes up chief justice race" (dead link)
- ↑ Helena lawyer Ron Waterman to challenge McGrath for chief justice
- ↑ Helena Independent Record "Local attorney seeks Supreme Court justice seat" October 14, 2009
- ↑ Helena Independent Record "Finalists selected for state SupCo nominees," December 2, 2009
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, 2008 General Election Results
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
