Montana Judge Reprimanded by Disciplinary Panel Over Email

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana judge has been reprimanded for using his official email to express political opinions.

The Independent Record reports the Montana Judicial Standards Commission has publicly reprimanded Judge Michael Swingley for an email he sent Jan. 2.

A stipulation for public reprimand filed Nov. 12 with the Montana Supreme Court says Swingley agrees the email violated four canons of the Montana Code of Judicial Conduct.

The stipulation says Swingley has agreed to not use his public email or office to engage in political discourse or express political feelings publicly while serving as a judicial officer and to accept the public reprimand from the standards commission.

Swingley says in a statement he does not deny that sending the email was wrong and he believes the commission’s decision was fair.

The Montana Supreme Court established the Judicial Standards Commission to regulate judicial conduct and discipline.