Governor Greg Gianforte announced today the appointment of John A. Mercer to the Twentieth Judicial District Court, which covers Lake and Sanders Counties.
“John served the people of the Twentieth Judicial District well when I appointed him to serve his community last year, and I’m glad he was willing to do so once again,” said Governor Gianforte. “With his extensive legal background and distinguished record, John will continue to serve as a great judge. I look forward to his service to the people of Lake and Sanders Counties on the Twentieth Judicial District Court.”
Mercer, who has practiced law for over 42 years, graduated from the University of Montana in 1979 and Northwestern University School of Law in 1982. He has spent much of his career serving as an attorney at Turnage Mercer & Wall in Polson and previously served as President of Heritage Management Co., also based in Polson.
The vacancy on the Twentieth Judicial District Court arose following a notification on December 26, 2024, from the Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court regarding the opening. In response, Governor Gianforte opened the application process on December 30, 2024, inviting nominations from qualified attorneys in good standing who met the legal qualifications for district court judgeship.
By January 14, five applications had been received, and a 15-day public comment period began, concluding on February 12. On February 14, the governor appointed an advisory council of attorneys and community leaders from Lake and Sanders Counties to help evaluate the applicants and consider public feedback.
“I thank the members of the advisory council for serving their community and dedicating their time to reviewing and recommending highly qualified nominees to serve as the district court judge,” Governor Gianforte said.
Mercer’s appointment is set to strengthen the Twentieth Judicial District Court, where he is expected to bring his wealth of legal experience and service-oriented approach to his new role.
By: DNU staff