Two judges seek next step up to District Court

Voters will choose between two candidates with a combined 27 years of experience when selecting who will fill a newly created judicial position in District Court.

Flathead County Justice of the Peace David Ortley and Kalispell Municipal Court Judge Heidi Ulbricht both say it is their experience in local courtrooms that makes them best suited for the county’s highest court.

Whoever prevails in the Nov. 2 general election will become the fourth elected judge in District Court, a trial venue with jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters. 

The position was created by the 2009 Legislature to help the three current District Court judges handle growing caseloads.

The winning candidate will serve a six-year term.

Ulbricht and Ortley emerged from primary-election field of four candidates.

They campaigned against each other for the same job once before: In 1999, Ortley defeated Ulbricht for his current position as Justice of the Peace.

David Ortley

Ortley, 54, has served in Justice Court since 2000 and has been elected three times. He is vacating the position to run for District Court, a decision he says he did not come to lightly.

“I’m not a gambler,” he said. “But I am all in.”

Ortley said the nature of Justice Court and the thousands of criminal and civil cases he has presided over have prepared him for District Court. He points to Judge Stewart Stadler, who was appointed to the court in 1999 after presiding over Justice Court. Ortley was also in consideration for the appointment.

“It’s really good training job for District Court,” Ortley said. “Judge Stadler has proven that.”

Ortley began his career in law enforcement, attending basic police school in Glynco, Ga., in 1979 and working as a seasonal ranger in Glacier National Park. He received a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement from Minnesota State University in 1980 and three years later earned a law degree at Hamline University School of Law.

He practiced law as an attorney from 1983 to 1999 as a prosecutor and public defender. Ortley was appointed to Justice Court in 1999 and has been elected three times since.

He was one of 11 Montana attorneys who sought appointment to the Montana Supreme Court in 2009.

Ortley said he sees the next District Court judge becoming a leader in a short amount of time.

Two of three judges have indicated pending retirement, he said. If that does happen, he said he would be prepared to lead the court into an ever-changing future. The number of cases is increasing at the same rate as the complexity in many cases, he said.

Among many goals, he said he would like to educate citizens in an era when many cannot afford to retain a lawyer.

He said the fast-paced nature of Justice Court has prepared him for the next level.

“In Justice Court, we drink from the fire hose and we don’t have any way to turn it off,” Ortley said.

Heidi Ulbricht

Ulbricht, 47, prides herself on her ability to collaborate with other agencies and offices, integrate technology in her courtroom and move quickly and efficiently through cases, she said.

In her 16 years as Kalispell Municipal Court judge, she said she has handled more than 120,000 cases and 150 jury trials while allowing no backlog and limited delays.

“I feel like I have the pace to handle the high volume and truly help the District Court judges,” Ulbricht said.

Ulbricht grew up in Boise, Idaho, and attended the University of Washington, where she received a bachelor’s degree in business accounting. She obtained a law degree from the University of Idaho in 1988 and later worked for a law firm and as a clerk for District Court in Boise.

Time spent as a waitress near West Glacier eventually led to her decision to live permanently in the Flathead Valley.

She said her background in law and accounting provides a good foundation for a District Court judge.

“As our economy is not strong, I think the number of civil cases that concern property and money are increasing,” she said.

Ulbricht led the effort to develop and implement DUI Court and Drug Court, programs that allow defendants a chance to work toward a deferred sentence after being convicted of repeat offenses.

She also oversees the Domestic Violence Accountability Court, a venue set up to ensure compliance with her rulings.

Ulbricht said that, if elected to District Court, she would pursue the creation of a Drug Court there as well. She said she would also like to see the new 911 Center linked up with the courts to provide uniform information to law enforcement and court officials.

She said she would implement court performance standards to measure how fast cases are processed.

“I think this is a natural progression after serving for 16 years and being elected five times,” Ulbricht said of her candidacy.

Reporter Eric Schwartz may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at eschwartz@dailyinterlake.com.