Jim Bailey, Hamilton
Reason for Running for Office
I first decided to run for Justice Court over 17 years ago. I had recently retired from the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Dept., however that did not mean I was ready to retire from working. Judge Ed Sperry had recently resigned and the position for Justice of the Peace was a natural extension of my career in enforcing the law. I am running for re-election because I enjoy my job. Justice Court is like a second home to me. I enjoy serving the citizens of Ravalli Count and wish to continue to do so.
Why I am the Best Choice
I have 17 years of experience as your elected Justice of the Peace in Ravalli County. Prior to becoming a Justice of the Peace, I had 31 years of experience as a sworn law enforcement officer. During those many years I’ve attended 2 law enforcement academies, the F.B.I. National Law Enforcement Academy, in Quantico, Virginia and many educational schools, seminars and conferences. The best experience I bring to Justice Court is what I have learned while working as a law enforcement officer and Justice of the Peace in Ravalli County for the last 37 years. I know the people and the needs of the community.
About Justice Court
A person has to run for election to be a Justice of the Peace. Once elected there are no politics in Justice Court. As a Judge there are many responsibilities that go with the job. All traffic and misdemeanor charges are handled in either city court or justice court. A misdemeanor used to be described as any crime punishable by 6 months or less in county jail. Felonies are described as any crime punishable by being sentenced to prison or death. There have been some changes in the definition of a misdemeanor, as now judges have authority to sentence up to 1 year on some crimes, such as D.U.I. #2 and D.U.I. #3.
In addition for being responsible for all misdemeanors, a Justice of the Peace does initial appearances for most felony charges. During that initial appearance a prosecutor will request a specific bond amount depending on what the defendant is charged with and request certain conditions of release. The conditions of release are as important as the bond amount set. A judge must decide if a defendant will be required to be on alcohol monitoring, drug patch monitors or GPS devices. In many cases a judge must decide if the defendant is restricted from his/her home. These are just some of the decisions a judge must decide by using information provided by the prosecutor and defense attorney.
In addition to criminal matters a Justice of the Peace has jurisdiction for civil matters for up to $12,000.00. Justice Court also has small claims hearings for up to $7,000.00. Many of these civil matters are landlord/tenant cases. Justice Courts handle hundreds of these cases every year.
In Justice Court we have jury trials. The difference from a jury trial in District Court to a jury trial in Justice Court is that in District Court they have 12 jurors and in Justice Court there are only 6. All 6 jurors must agree if a person is guilty or not guilty. We also have bench trials where the judge is the sole person making the decision on a person’s guilt or innocence.
We also issue temporary orders of protection. These usually are issued after a family dispute or assault. The orders usually involve removing one of the family members from the residence with a threat of arrest if he/she returns. The order also addresses temporary custody of children. After the temporary order is issued, a formal hearing is conducted. At the hearing the temporary order can be dismissed, modified or continued depending on testimony of all parties. A Justice of the Peace could make an order permanent.
I have described most of the job of being a Justice of the Peace. The authority you are giving a Judge is very powerful. I have had that responsibility for over 17 years and I take it very seriously.
Perry Johnson, Hamilton
I am 61 years old and my wife, Betty, and I have been married for 40 years. We have lived in the Bitterroot Valley since 1983. We raised our four children, Luke, Wendy, Jojo, and Nicki, in the Hamilton school district. We also have 11 grandchildren: seven grand daughters and four grandsons, from age 15 to age 1. My sister and brother-in-law, Diane and Alton Cottrell also reside in Hamilton.
Reason for Running for Office
I like and value people! For the past 32 years my life has reflected service: to the citizens of Ravalli County and the State of Montana. I would like to continue that service as your next Justice of the Peace. I believe my experience, training and communication skills provide a roadmap to success in this position. My track record and reputation lend themselves to continuing my career as a justice of the peace. I have been and continue to be invested in Ravalli County, and I bring a “can-do attitude” and fresh energy to this position. I bring common sense, honesty, integrity, fairness and consistency to this position. I treat all with dignity and respect. My experience in regards to reviewing allegations of misconduct against public safety officer’s careers, positions me to make fair and consistent decisions based on the law and facts, in each situation. Finally, I have the ability to balance the requirements of the law with the needs and circumstances of each individual case. It would be my honor to apply my training and life experience to serve Ravalli County as your next Justice of the Peace.
Why I am the Best Choice for the Position
I have the skills and abilities to be a good judge! Experience and energy define my work history and work ethic. Since my retirement from the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office in August 2013 I have been employed as the Executive Director of the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council (POST Council) . For the past five years I have commuted back-and-forth between the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and Hamilton, nearly every week. As the Executive Director, my responsibilities include reviewing and approving training applications for sheriff’s deputies, police officers, highway patrol troopers, detention and correction officers, probation and parole officers, dispatchers, tribal officers, fish and game officers, and others. In addition to approving training I am also responsible for certifying the nearly 5000 Public Safety officers in Montana. I also have the responsibility to review allegations of misconduct against officers and to conduct investigations into the allegations and make decisions in regards to sanctions, including certification suspensions and revocations relating to officer misconduct. I was the elected Ravalli County Sheriff, and have served as an Undersheriff to Sheriff Chris Hoffman, as a Deputy Sheriff, as a Sheriff’s Detective, and as a Hamilton Police Officer and Detective. I have thousands of hours of law enforcement training and over 3 decades of public safety experience. Parts of my training were obtained at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, the FBI National Academy, the Montana Sheriff’s Institute, the National Sheriff’s Institute and many other local and regional training venues. I am honest, unbiased, empathetic, consistent, and fair. I have a strong foundation and understanding of the law and how it is applied, a well rounded background and the ability to make decisions based on common sense and life experience. I offer the citizens of Ravalli County a tremendous amount of skill, training, experience and personal and community investment based on my law enforcement service and hometown values.