The conservative Christian religious beliefs of one of the candidates for Justice of the Montana Supreme Court-- attorney and law professor
Kristen Juras-- has become a campaign issue. In endorsing her opponent Dirk Sandefur, the
Bozeman Daily Chronicle last week said in part:
In an email sent to a colleague at the UM she stated, “After lots of prayer I decided to run…I think there are going to be a lot of cases affecting religious freedom that arise over the next several years, and I’d like to be part of the decision-making body that will be addressing those issues.”
Juras was quoted earlier this year by the Montana Christian Journal: “It is important to elect justices who respect all of our fundamental rights, including the free exercise of religion, and who have not pre-determined that one right should outweigh another.”
Just like [Republican nominee for Montana governor] Greg Gianforte, Juras uses “religious freedom” as a dog whistle in attempts to deny civil rights to the LGBTQ community. Juras’ bias and lack of experience make her unfit for the Supreme Court. Dirk Sandefur is hard-working, fair, and the only qualified candidate.
The Missoulian also raises questions about the impact of Juras' religious views.
