Incumbent Justice of the Peace Mark Sullivan faces off against newcomer Travis Bruyer in the race for Flathead County Justice of the Peace, Department 2.
Justice of the peace has an array of duties in the courtroom, ranging from performing marriages to ruling in Small Claims Court to issuing search warrants. The court also handles certain DUI infractions, traffic tickets from the Montana Highway Patrol and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks citations, among other duties.
For Sullivan, being a justice of the peace means putting in the hours to make sure the people involved in each case – whether criminal or civil – are treated with respect and their case gets the research it deserves.
“I love my job and I’m good at it,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan grew up in Whitefish and moved south to work in the oil fields. He went back to school, earning his law degree from the University of Arkansas. He was a private practice attorney before being elected justice of the peace.
Approaching the end of the fourth year in his first term, Sullivan is proud of establishing night court in 2007, which he said has helped Flathead County residents to fulfill their court obligations after working hours.
“It’s the most popular session we have now,” Sullivan said.
Justice Court receives a high volume of cases, Sullivan noted, and he works weekends and late hours to ensure he does not have a backlog. He said having a law degree helps him immensely because some cases seem cut and dry but can be more complicated once given a closer look.
Sullivan is also proud of the way the Flathead County Justice Court is run. The employees are excellent, he said, and the administrators do not waste taxpayers’ money.
“We do more with less in this Justice Court than others in comparable courts,” Sullivan said.
The job takes about two years to get situated, Sullivan said, and having two new justices of the peace would not be a good thing for Flathead County. The Department 1 seat has two newcomers running for the seat.
“You can’t learn it in the court training we have twice a year,” Sullivan said.
As a justice of the peace, Sullivan said he tries to treat everyone with fairness, dignity and respect as they come into the courtroom.
“I want them to know why I made the decision,” he said.
Coming in as the challenger, Bruyer said though he believes the Justice Court is running well, he could help improve it.
Bruyer has 13 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, with the county as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and the Helena Police Department. Though he does not have a law degree, Bruyer believes his experience on the street will give him an edge in Justice Court.
Being a law enforcement officer means having good listening skills and being able to make a non-partisan decision based on testimony from both sides of the issue, he said.
Bruyer also noted that a majority of Montana’s justices of the peace do not hold law degrees.
If elected, Bruyer said he would focus on the county’s problem with repeat offenders. While he acknowledged there is not money for new programs, he said the county could use technology to help monitor these offenders while keeping the fiscal burden off taxpayers.
“As an officer I see this issues first hand; that’s why I’m in the race,” Bruyer said.
Alcohol monitoring systems, such as automobile interlock devices, could be used to a greater degree, Bruyer said. There is also a low number of offenders in the county’s DUI court, he said, and it should be an option for more of them.
As justice of the peace, Bruyer said he would consider all types of punishment for crimes, not just a jail sentence or a heavy fine.
“This is a tough economy; you have to weigh people’s ability to pay as well,” Bruyer said. “People still need to be out there actively looking for work even if they made a poor choice.”
Bruyer said he is not worried about having two new justices in office if he is elected because the court’s staff would be able to help with the transition.
He expects the job to be a challenge, but admits that is part of the appeal.
“I love challenges, I don’t see them as obstacles,” Bruyer said. “You have an opportunity to do something amazing or do something that nobody else wants to step up and do.”
The general election is Nov. 2. Absentee ballots are available through noon on Nov. 1.