The Teton County Justice Court handles misdemeanor offenses, civil cases for amounts up to $12,000, small claims valued up to $7,000, landlord/tenant disputes, local ordinances, forcible entry and detainer, protection orders, certain issues involving juveniles, and other matters. The first encounter of the justice system for most Montanans will be Courts of Limited Jurisdiction, where the caseload tends to hold about 10 times more than that of District Courts here in Montana. Our Courts of Limited Jurisdiction consist of 61 Justice Courts, 84 City Courts and 6 Municipal Courts.

The citizens of Teton County elect the Justice of the Peace to fulfill the four-year term and responsibilities of this office. All Limited Jurisdiction Court Judges serve four-year terms. Justice Court and City Court Judges are not required to be attorneys; however, Municipal Court Judges must be attorneys.

All Limited Jurisdiction Court Judges must attend two Supreme Court-supervised training conferences each year and pass a Certification Examination each term. Failure to attend a training conference or pass the examination creates a vacancy in the Judge’s office.

While Court personnel are pleased to assist you in any way possible, please understand that we are unable to provide legal advice. If you need legal advice or have questions, please contact an attorney.

Staff

The Honorable Pete Rasmussen, presiding
Justice of the Peace
Email: pete.rasmussen@mt.gov

Office Hours:
10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Wednesday
10:00 am to 2:00 pm Thursday

Dianna Nelson
Clerk of Justice Court

Office Hours:
8:00 am to 12:00 pm Monday through Friday

Contact Us

Teton County Justice Court
PO Box 337
1 Main Ave South
Choteau, MT 59422
Phone: 406-466-5611
Fax: 406-466-2910