Montana Judge Appointed to Federal Court’s Executive Committee

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas, of Billings, has been appointed to the federal court's executive committee, which develops policy for the nation's court system.

The Billings Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1R6eJFM ) Thomas' appointment to the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference was announced Dec. 1.

As a member of the committee, Thomas will be tasked with additional administrative and policy duties. The committee also acts on behalf of the conference on issues requiring emergency action as authorized by the chief justice.

Thomas, a native of Bozeman, has his chambers in Billings. He became the Ninth Circuit's chief judge in December 2014 and has served on the Ninth Circuit for nearly 20 years.