Primary will narrow District Court contest

Four lawyers — two in private practice and two judges — are in a primary runoff for the new District Court judge position in Flathead County.

Flathead Valley attorneys Phyllis Quatman and Rich DeJana, Flathead County Justice of the Peace David Ortley and Kalispell Municipal Judge Heidi Ulbricht are vying for the new judge position, created by the 2009 Legislature to help the three current District Court judges handle growing caseloads.

Since this is a nonpartisan election, the top two candidates in Tuesday’s primary will advance to the Nov. 2 general election.

District Court is a trial court with jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters.

DeJana specializes in civil, real estate and business litigation and estimates he has been involved in close to 300 cases. DeJana said he is an experienced litigator in land use and real estate.

If elected, he said, he intends to speed up the court process, since the courts are running behind. He also wants to focus on applying the law as it is written.

“I’m good at problem-solving and I can make a decision,” he said, noting that a good judge must be able to make decisions quickly.

“I’m very confident and I understand what I’m doing,” DeJana said. “We need someone who will roll up their sleeves and work.” 

Ortley said he isn’t afraid of hard work.

According to Ortley, the thousands of criminal and civil cases he has presided over in Justice Court, one of the busiest courts in the state, have prepared him for District Court.

“With few exceptions, the work I have done in the Justice Court is the same as the work as the District Court,” said Ortley, who said he is passionate about his work who has a strong work ethic, patience and a judicial temperament.

Ortley also mentioned his ability to make sound decisions based upon the law and facts, not personal ambition or special interests, treating those who appear before him fairly and respectfully and taking time to listen to every aspect of a case.

“The courts are for the people and I have strived to ensure that the people have meaningful access to their court,” he said.

“I will continue my practice of being respectful of all who appear before me and fair in my decision-making. I am not afraid of the work that needs to be done and the unique demands placed upon the judge. I will also work for the improvement of judges and the judicial system as it responds to the 21st century needs of those who need its services.”

According to Quatman, the District Court position requires someone “who can hit the ground running” and shoulder an intense caseload.

She said her experience prosecuting numerous major felony cases in California as well as handling many criminal defense, family law and civil litigation cases in the Flathead Valley means she would be up to the task of handling the felonies and major civil litigation in District Court.

“I’d like to streamline criminal day so private lawyers aren’t sitting around for hours,” said Quatman. She also would like to see people be able to enter pleas more expediently, without having to go into a lot of detail or undergo cross examination.

Quatman said she would seek to implement a drug court to hold accountable felony drug and DUI offenders who are sentenced to treatment and probation, implement a domestic violence calendar dedicated to holding convicted batterers accountable, schedule cases more efficiently and expedite routine court proceedings.

Ulbricht doesn’t have a backlog in her court.

She said this accomplishment, plus her judicial temperament, would make her a fine District Court judge.

“I have a lot of patience,” she said, adding that she allows people enough time to fully discuss their case before issuing a timely decision.

If elected, she said, she would bring innovation to the court. She runs one of the first DUI courts in the state and helped institute one of the state’s first imaging systems for a court of limited jurisdiction.

“I wasn’t satisfied with running a court as it always had been run,” she said, adding that she always is looking for ways to expand and improve, as well as make the court system fair and reliable.

In her 16 years as a judge, Ulbricht said she has recovered $200,000 in victim restitution.

“Through my experience as a judge, attorney, wife, daughter, mother of two and volunteer, I’ve seen the challenges we all face. I have found compassion, kindness and fortitude to be important. And I strive to live and work with these guiding principals in my everyday life.”

Reporter Melissa Weaver may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at mweaver@dailyinterlake.com.