New District Judge Now Presiding in Cascade County

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — A new judge is on the bench in a central Montana county after he was sworn in Monday in a courtroom where he made one of his first appearances as a lawyer.

The Great Falls Tribune reports (http://gftrib.com/1Oa8X1p) John A. Kutzman was sworn in before a packed courtroom in Montana's 8th Judicial District by his retired predecessor, Judge Kenneth Neill.

Kutzman started presiding over cases in Cascade County court on Tuesday.

He says he received his judge's robe in a courtroom where he argued a brief with Neill presiding, and where he made one of his first appearances early on in his career.

Kutzman was appointed to the bench by Gov. Steve Bullock.