Missoula Judge Receives Tearful Thank You for Special ROAD Court

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Justice of the Peace Landee Holloway, running to retain her office for a second full term, appeared on Talk Back to take calls from listeners.

She described the focus of the office of Justice of the Peace.

“You know, it's about people. And I think people are very interesting and people need to be heard. And I think that if you take the time to hear each case as much as you can and listen to them, I don't know that it gets monotonous. I mean, some of the traffic citations get a little bit old, but at the same time, we understand various people have barriers in front of them that they need to overcome. I think that the unique part about our job as a justice of the peace is the ability to influence and give people value and yet to hold individuals accountable for our community."

Justices of the Peace have Very Long Days

Holloway said most people just don’t realize the sheer amount of work that the Justices of the Peace handle on a daily basis.

“We walk into court and as much as people would like to think maybe we get to study those cases, but that's not the case at all,” she said. “We see. I think it's about 9000 criminal cases a year. I have Law and Motion on Tuesday mornings, and Judge Beal right now is in the midst of Law and Motion on Wednesdays. It's not uncommon to have 60 cases on the court docket that morning, and then at 1:30 we start initial appearances every day, and then at 2:30 we do jail appearances and that's just the criminal side. We also have a civil docket that happens as well.”

A Special Program for DUI Offenders

Holloway initiated a special court program to address those who have multiple DUI offenses called the ROAD court.

“ROAD court stands for Responsibilities, Opportunities, and Accountability for Drivers,” she said. “It is a treatment and accountability court for DUI offenders. We've been in existence now for four years. I'm happy to say that it is grant funded. We've received five years of grants and were just awarded another one from the Montana Department of Transportation. We've also received a federal grant that funds a treatment program for DUI offenders.”

A Dramatic Call from a ROAD Court Family Member

After referencing the ROAD court program, Holloway received a heartwarming call from a family member of one of the ROAD court graduates, who was choking back tears of gratitude.

"I was just calling to shout out and give Judge Holloway a huge thank you,” the caller began. “Someone very close and dear to me went through Judge Holloway's ROAD court and it changed our lives. That person in my life has been clean and sober for over two years and is doing wonderfully, so I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you."

Holloway replied. “Thank you so much. I appreciate you calling in and sharing that information.”

Holloway is being challenged for her seat by patriotic event organizer and wildlife author Susan Campbell Reneau.