BOZEMAN — The rule of law can be complicated — “defendant,” “plaintiff,” “due process” — it’s easy to get confused. On Thursday, Montanans had a chance to see it in action at the 68th annual Law Day.
“Today we have the opportunity to see Montana’s Supreme Court in action,” Montana State University President Brock Tessman said, opening the event.
A crowd filled the Strand Union Building at Montana State, including high school seniors from Broadwater High School in Townsend.
“We came here to watch the court trial as part of a class field trip as well as a government assignment,” said senior Gavin.
What began as a routine field trip surprised some students.
“I will say that I might have felt like this was going to be possibly like a boring little trip we took,” said Mishayla. “It actually turned out to be quite interesting.”
“This was probably one of my favorite opportunities as a class trip,” Gavin said.
WATCH: Montana Supreme Court hears bondsman appeal at MSU Law Day
Elaine Gagliardi, dean of the Alexander Blewett III School of Law — Montana’s only law school — explained the purpose of the annual event.
“The purpose of Law Day is for the public to be able to see the court at work,” she said.
Thursday afternoon, the Montana Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that may be familiar to some.
In December 2021, Butte bondsmen Jay Hubber and Nicholas Jaeger went to pick up a man wanted for skipping bond. After entering a home without permission, Hubber got into a fight with the wanted man. During the struggle, Jaeger took Hubber’s gun and fatally shot homeowner Bill Harris twice.
Both Hubber and Jaeger were found guilty. Recently, Hubber appealed his conviction, and that appeal was argued on Thursday in front of hundreds of spectators.
“It’s important for the public to understand the importance of the rule of law. Our society works because we respect the law,” Gagliardi said.
After arguments, questions, and rebuttals, the court was dismissed.
For students, the day offered a unique learning experience.
“I learned a lot about how Supreme Court cases and proceedings go, and how all that works,” said Aiden.
“I learned if things are really vague, it can cause a lot of issues,” Kaitlyn added.
When asked if they had an interest in pursuing law, some said no.
For others, the event sparked new possibilities.
“I was kind of interested in going into environmental justice. This kind of opened me up to what that might be like,” Gavin said.
The high court will rule on Hubber’s appeal at a later date.
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