Author

James C. Nelson
James C. Nelson is a retired lawyer and former Montana Supreme Court Justice. He lives in Helena.
Montana still hasn’t learned anything from its history
By: James C. Nelson - August 29, 2021
The Preamble to our State’s Constitution speaks to the importance of Montana’s quiet beauty, the grandeur of our Mountains, and the vastness of our rolling plains as underpinning our desire to improve our quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations. In fulfillment of that […]
Montana’s Constitution means that no one can interfere with your right to vote
By: James C. Nelson - July 11, 2021
In its 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder and in its July 1, 2021 decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, the United States Supreme Court made clear that it will not interfere with States which adopt laws to suppress voting rights and which make it harder for minority people to vote. Sadly, it […]
Montana’s franchise under attack
By: James C. Nelson - June 27, 2021
The right to vote is a fundamental right under Montana’s Constitution. Article II, Sec. 13 provides: “All elections shall be free and open, and no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage.” To understand how this fundamental Constitutional right is at risk, to […]
Slouching toward fascism
By: James C. Nelson - May 26, 2021
Dr. David James’ recent guest view comparing our modern political times with those of pre-war Germany and the rise of Hitler and Nazism was point-on. When lies trump truth; when fiction trumps fact; and when fantasy trumps reality, we are, indeed, circling the drain into fascism. The Jan. 6 attempted putsch of our national government […]