6 justices to hear judicial nomination commission case AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press April 7, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Six members of the Montana Supreme Court will consider a legal challenge to a new Montana law that would eliminate the state's judicial nomination commission and allow the governor to appoint judges to fill vacancies between elections, the court ruled Wednesday. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill on March 16 and a legal challenge was filed asking the Montana Supreme Court for an injunction to block the law from taking effect and to declare it unconstitutional. Montana’s 1972 Constitution states that Supreme Court and District Court judges must be elected, with the exception of vacancies where “the governor shall appoint a replacement from nominees selected in the manner provided by law.”