Court likely to declare birth certificate rule unconstitutional and hold state agency in contempt

In a court case dealing with how to change a birth certificate in Montana, previous hearings have been so contentious that the state’s Supreme Court had to step in to clarify to the state how a preliminary injunction works, Thursday’s district court hearing struck a completely different tone.

Thane Johnson, who represented the State of Montana on Thursday, apologized to the court, saying the department understood the rulings and had not followed the orders, while assuring the court it would change course...