Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Attorney General Records, 1947-1979, undated
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana. Attorney General's Office
- Title
- Montana Attorney General Records
- Dates
- 1947-1979, undated (inclusive)19471979
- Quantity
- 6.4 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- RS 294
- Summary
- This collection consists of records from the office of the Montana Attorney General related to cases handled by the office. The records consist of a variety of materials including legal briefs, correspondence, and motions.
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Attorney General of Montana is an elected official, established by Article VII, Section 1 of the 1889 Constitution, and again in Article VI, Section 1 of the 1972 Constitution. The Attorney General is elected for a term of 4 years and is defined as the legal officer of the state. Also stipulated in the law concerning this position, there are certain things the holder of this office may not do, including represent citizens in private legal matter, address complaints against private attorneys, hold authority of Montana judges, and direct or supervise departments other than the Department of Justice. However, the Attorney General is allowed to issue formal opinions in certain situations, and once issued these opinions gold the force of law unless they are overturned by a district court. The Attorney General is also a member of the Montana Land Board and Board of Examiners.
In addition to the Attorney General, the office is also comprised of assistant attorneys who, as a unit, function as the lawyers for the State of Montana. The attorneys have a broad knowledge base in a variety of legal subjects and handle a wide variety of legal cases involving the State of Montana. This team of attorneys provides representation for state agencies in lawsuits, the State of Montana in complex civil litigation, and assists local county attorneys in the prosecution of criminals. The team draws upon their legal areas of interest and expertise when needed. These areas include the death penalty, internet crime against children, consumer protection, Native American jurisdiction issues, federal reserved water rights, and constitutional challenges filed against state laws.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists of records from the office of the Montana Attorney General related to cases handled bt the office. The case files (1947-1979) represented in the records range from the state litigating cases against illegal gambling operations to a class action lawsuit in which the state was a complainant, to a case dealing with reapportionment of representatives and the state being the respondent. The largest of all of these files is the class action lawsuit the state participated in against several pharmaceutical manufacturers in the matter of price fixing of the antibiotic tetracycline.
Also represented are what the office called "service files" (1977-1978), which are the files compiled by the office in the execution of its role of attorney for the various departments within the state government. The service files document complaints made against the departments, as well as how these complaints were handled by the office. At times the office took the lead in representing the departments, but others were handled by in-house attorneys. The rest of the records comprise the subject files (1967-1974). These files cover a variety of topics, including an easement request from the Montana Power Company, and several other similar files related to the Attorney General's seat on the state Land Board, another file regrarding the subject of purchasing, and yet another related to the sentence of an inmate in the Montana State Prison.
The materials consist of agreements, correspondence,environmental impact statements,invoices, legal briefs, legal motions, news clippings, printed materials, photographs, receipts,reports, and transcripts.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection is organized in three series: Case Files, 1947-1979; Service Files, 1977-1978; and Subject Files, 1967-1974. Each series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Location of Collection
32:8-5Acquisition Information
Acquisition information available upon request
Related Materials
Related CollectionsResearchers should note that there are multiple collections with records from the office of the Montana Attorney General in the Montana State Archives at the Montana Historical Society.
Office of the Montana Attorney General Montana Attorney General's Office Records UPRS 7 (62:2-5) Office of the Montana Attorney General Montana Attorney General's Office Records 1890-1910 ( inclusive) RS 348 (34:5-7) Office of the Montana Attorney General Montana Attorney General's Office Records 1957-1982 ( inclusive) RS 111 (22:5-5) Office of the Montana Attorney General Montana Attorney General's Office records 1893-1969 ( inclusive) RS 76 (19:2-6)Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Case FilesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 1-2 | Harvey vs. State |
1970-1973 |
1 / 3 | State ex rel Arnold H. Olsen vs. J.E. (Baldy) Kelly |
1955 |
1 / 4 | State ex rel James Nepstad, Respondent
vs. Russell L. Danielson, C.L. Duffy, and Roy G. Riley, Sherrif of Big
Horn County, Appellants |
1966-1972 |
1 / 5 | State ex rel Olsen vs. Crown Cigar,
Copper Kings, 1st Floor #43,986 |
1947-1950 |
1 / 6 | State ex rel Olsen vs. John M. Lloyd |
1955 |
1 / 7 | State vs. 30 Club, Et. Al. |
1950 |
1/ 8-9 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Associated Cases and Research Materials |
1969-1975 |
1 / 10-13 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. – Briefs |
1971 |
1 / 14-15 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. – Claims |
1972-1973 |
1 / 16-17 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Claims Correspondence |
1969-1971 |
2 / 1 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Claims Correspondence |
1969-1971 |
2 / 2-3 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Economic brief |
undated |
2 / 4-5 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Federal Trade Commission and USDA Drug market information |
1979 |
2 / 6-7 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - File I |
1969 |
2 / 8-9 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - File II |
1969-1971 |
2 / 10 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - File III |
1970-1972 |
2 / 11-12 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - File IV |
1970-1972 |
2 / 13-14 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - File V, Appeal |
1971-1972 |
2 / 15-16 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - File VI, Appeal |
1972-1974 |
3 / 1 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - File VI, Appeal |
1972-1974 |
3 / 2-3 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Legal Briefs and Motions |
1973-1975 |
3 / 4 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Orders from Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation |
1969-1971 |
3 / 5-13 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Pharmaceutical Invoices |
1970-1978 |
4 / 1-3 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Pharmaceutical Invoices |
1970-1978 |
4 / 4 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - Settlement Notes |
1969, undated |
4 / 5 | State vs. Chas. Pfizer, et al. - State of Montana Motions |
1973, undated |
4 / 6 | State vs. Deshner |
1971 |
4 / 7-16 | Wold, et al. vs. Anderson, Murray |
1969-1971 |
4 / 17 | Wold, et al. vs. Anderson, Murray - House
Report on Reapportionment |
1965 |
Service FilesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 1-3 | Service File: Department of Administration |
1977-1978 |
5 / 4 | Service File: Department of Agriculture |
1978 |
5 / 5 | Service File: Department of Business Regulation |
1978 |
5 / 6 | Service File: Commissioner of Higher Education |
1977-1978 |
5 / 7 | Service File: Department of Community Affairs |
1977-1978 |
5 / 8 | Service File: Eastern Montana College |
1978 |
5 / 9 | Service File: Deparment of Fish and Game |
1977-1978 |
5 / 10 | Service File: Office of the Governor (Thomas L. Judge) |
1978 |
5/ 11 | Service File: Department of Health and Environmental Sciences |
1977-1978 |
5/ 12-13 | Service File: Department of Highways |
1977-1978 |
5 / 14 | Service File: Highway Patrol Bureau |
1977-1978 |
5 / 15 | Service File: Department of Institutions |
1977-1978 |
5/16-19 | Service File: Department of Labor and Industry |
1977-1978 |
5/20 | Service File: Department of Military Affairs |
1978 |
5/21 | Service File: Montana State University |
1978 |
5/22 | Service File: Department of Natural Resources and Conservation |
1977-1978 |
5/23 | Service File: Personnel Appeals Division, Department of Labor and Industry |
1977-1978 |
5/24 | Service File: Office of Public Instruction |
1977-1978 |
6/1 | Service File: Department of Professional and Occupational Licensing |
1977 |
6/2-3 | Service File: Public Services Commission |
1977-1978 |
6/4-13 | Service File: Department of Revenue |
1977-1978 |
6/14 | Service File: Department of Social & Rehabilitative Services |
1977-1978 |
6/15 | Service File: University of Montana |
1978 |
Service FilesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
7/1 | Board of Examiners Annual Report |
1974 |
7/2 | Butte West Unit Area |
1972 |
7/3 | Deaf and Blind School |
1967-1970, undated |
7/4 | Montana Power Company -- Bitterroot Valley |
1972 |
7/5 | Montana Power Company Easement Request |
1972, undated |
7/6 | Montana Reclamation Act Draft |
undated |
7/7 | Purchasing |
1972 |
7/8 | Re: Schenk, Franklin, MSP #22520 |
1969 |
7/9 | Zweifel International |
1971-1972 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Class action lawsuits
- Litigation
Geographical Names
- Montana Government