Deborah Kim Christopher Removed

District Court Judge Deborah Kim Christopher unexpectedly changed custody of a child from the primary caretaker to the father — without either parent requesting the change or alleging any wrongdoing that would justify it. The Montana Supreme Court removed her from the case over the ruling.

In a separate case, Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services moved to disqualify Christopher, alleging she had failed to rule on motions in a timely manner, made biased comments in her written rulings, and contacted parties directly without their attorneys present — a violation of the basic rule against ex parte communication.

The Montana Judicial Standards Commission separately filed a complaint alleging Christopher had missed work and canceled hearings without arranging a replacement judge, violating the rule requiring judges to perform their duties "competently and diligently."

Christopher, who had served Lake and Sanders counties for nearly 24 years, resigned effective April 5, 2024, ending the Commission's proceedings against her before they reached a final determination.