3-6-202. Qualifications -- certification -- training. (1) A municipal court judge must have the same qualifications as a judge of a district court, as set forth in Article VII, section 9, of the 1972 Montana constitution, except that a municipal court judge need only be admitted to the practice of law in Montana for at least 2 years prior to the date of appointment or election.
     (2) A municipal court judge must be a resident and voter in the city in which he is elected at the time of his election.
     (3) A municipal court judge must be certified as provided in 3-1-1502 or 3-1-1503 prior to assuming office.
     (4) There must be two mandatory annual training sessions supervised by the supreme court for all elected and appointed municipal court judges. One of the training sessions may be held in conjunction with the Montana magistrates' association convention. Actual and necessary travel expenses, as defined and provided for in 2-18-501 through 2-18-503, and the costs of registration and books and other materials must be paid to the elected or appointed municipal court judge for attending the sessions by the city in which he holds or will hold court and must be charged against that city.
     (5) Each municipal court judge shall attend the training sessions provided for in subsection (4). Failure to attend disqualifies a judge from office and creates a vacancy in the office. However, the supreme court may excuse a municipal court judge from attendance because of illness, a death in the family, or any other good cause.

     History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 177, L. 1935; re-en. Sec. 5094.4, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 124, L. 1974; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 429, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 11-1704(1); amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 317, L. 1991.