Montana Attorney Seeks Post of Judge She’s Suing

After a Lewistown judge slapped his female law clerk's butt with a folder, the clerk first sued her boss. Now she wants his job.

Forty-three-year-old Britt Long characterizes her bid to unseat two-term incumbent Judge E. Wayne Phillips as a battle against the status quo.

Phillips acknowledges the file folder incident, but says it was a "tap" made out of frustration. He says Long's decision to run reveals the lawsuit was designed to undermine his reputation.

Phillips has not decided if he will seek another six-year term.

The dispute with the judge is Long's second recent legal clash with an employer.

She lost a state job in 2008 and complained of workplace discrimination. A judge recently dismissed her lawsuit in that case and sanctioned Long for repeatedly missing court-ordered depositions.