GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Municipal Court closed on Monday, November 9, due to COVID-19, and will remain closed until Monday, November 30.
All hearings and trials will be continued by the Court to a later date, and notices will be mailed. Upon opening, all processes will resume, including warrants being issued for failure to appear, failure to pay, and/or failure to comply.
In order to request additional time on any matter, a motion must be filed via the City Court e-mail (citycourt@greatfallsmt.net). Failure to do so may result in a warrant being issued upon the Court reopening. Any warrants already issued will remain active until an appearance is made.
During the closure, fine/restitution payments can be made online at citepayusa.com (choose Montana, then Great Falls Municipal Court). Please note, payments that are mailed in will not be processed until Court staff returns to the office on Monday, November 30.
For more information, contact the court at citycourt@greatfallsmt.net or leave a voicemail at 406-771-1380. Court staff will be checking messages and returning calls during the closure.
In addition, with the rise in COVID cases in Cascade County, Justice Court has also been affected and Court operations be modified for the next two weeks. Justice of the Peace Mary Jolley said that effective Monday, November 9, and continuing through November 20, Justice Court will only be conducting Initial Appearances that are via Zoom.
All other IN COURT appearances currently scheduled are being immediately continued. The Justice Court will not be open to appointments or foot traffic during this time. Defendants who are court ordered to make payments to Justice Court are encouraged to do so via the US Postal Service.
Justice Jolley said, “Justice Fagenstrom and I regret this inconvenience and disruption and appreciate the publics’ understanding and patience while we operate for a brief time under these limitations so as to keep our staff and community safe.
A news release from the City of Great Falls did not provide any details about the COVID situation, such as the number of people who may have been affected.
