Curtis touts experience as prosecutor

I am Kristi Curtis. I am your Whitefish prosecutor and I am running for Whitefish Municipal Court Judge.

Why am I running? Because Whitefish Municipal Court deals primarily with criminal cases and, as the prosecutor, I have a unique perspective on how the court can be improved to serve the needs of the community, while ensuring correct procedures are followed to comply with legal and constitutional requirements. I have over 11 years experience as the prosecutor in Kalispell and Whitefish. If elected, I intend to use my knowledge and experience to improve the day to day operation of the court, increase absent defendants’ accountability, utilize existing technology to improve court access, and minimize the amount of time spent waiting for individual cases to be called.

I recognize that for most people, their only experience with the criminal justice system may be at the Municipal Court level. It is important for these people to understand their constitutional rights, feel empowered to assert those rights, to have a judge willing to listen to their version of events, and deliver fair and equal justice.

As a prosecutor I have tried over 100 jury trials, and hundreds of bench trials.

In addition to my 11 years prosecutorial experience, I have 25 years experience as a civil litigator. I handled all phases of civil litigation including jury trials and appeals. As a criminal and civil litigator, I believe I have a strong grasp on the rules and admissibility of evidence. This is critical knowledge for a judge.

I addition to my experience as a prosecutor, I have served as the substitute judge in the Kalispell Municipal Court and Flathead Justice Court.

My decision to run is based solely on my desire to continue my public service and to utilize my knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to make Whitefish Municipal Court outstanding! If you want more information on my specific ideas on managing the court, I invite you to visit my webpage at www.kcurtisforwhitefishjudge.com

Ballots will be mailed out the week of Oct. 18. They can be returned by mail as long as they are received by Nov. 7. In addition, ballots can be dropped off at the Whitefish City Hall or the Flathead County election department before the election closes on Nov. 7. When you cast your ballot, I ask you to cast your vote for me. At this point in the election process, I believe most people know the names of the two candidates. Consequently, I will be taking down my campaign signs immediately. I invite my opponent to do the same so Whitefish can return to being the city we know and love, uncluttered by political signage.

Kristi Curtis is running for Whitefish Municipal Court Judge.