Montana Supreme Court to hear oral arguments at MSU on April 23

BOZEMAN - The Montana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments April 23 at Montana State University in observance of National Law Day. Hundreds of middle and high school students from across the state are expected to be in attendance. The event, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Strand Union Building ballrooms. Law Day is a rare opportunity to gain insight into the granular details of the state's court system, said Christopher Pruden, engagement programs lead for MSU student success.

"Law Day provides an opportunity for people to peek under the hood of our civic institutions and see how they operate," Pruden said. "It's of great value to students and our entire community to bring the Montana Supreme Court to campus each year."

This year's case surrounds a Butte bondsman and his bounty-hunting partner. In 2021, Jay Hubber, a bail bondsman, and his codefendant, Nicohlas Jaeger, entered a home to arrest a man, who Jeager shot and killed with Hubber's firearm. In March 2024, a jury found the men guilty of aggravated burglary, Jaeger of deliberate homicide and Hubber of homicide by accountability. A judge sentenced both men to 60 years in prison plus 20 years suspended.

Hubber filed an appeal of his conviction in the Butte-Silver Bow County District Court in June 2024, and the case, Jay Steven Hubber v. the State of Montana has since progressed to the Montana Supreme Court.

The core element of Hubber's case revolves around homicide by accountability, and if the person who actively participated in the circumstances leading up to a crime can be held equally responsible as the person who committed it.

Past cases heard at MSU Law Day include State of Montana v. Kingman (2011), a case regarding whether media coverage caused jury bias in an assault trial, and Montana Environmental Information Center v. Westmoreland Rosebud Mining (2023), which centered around the environmental review of mining operations. The University of Montana also holds its own version of the event.

MSU's Law Day is a collaborative event between MSU's Department of Political Science, Pre-Law Club, the State Bar of Montana and the 18th Judicial District Court.