Leslie Halligan

District Court Judge

Dept. 1

Gov. Steve Bullock appointed Hon. Leslie Halligan in May 2015 as a new interim judge to the Fourth Judicial District Court to replace Judge Ed McLean, who retired on April 30. Halligan serves as the new judge that will preside over cases in Missoula and Mineral counties.

Since 2012, Halligan has been one of the standing masters of district court, presiding over cases referred to her by McLean and district court judge Karen Townsend that related to domestic relations, family law and parenting plans, as well as some of those involving intervention in neglect and abuse of children.

Judge Halligan is up for re-election in 2030.

Tara Elliott

District Court Judge

Dept. 2

District Judge Tara J. Elliott was elected to the Fourth Judicial District, Department 2, in November 2024. Prior to assuming the bench, Judge Elliott spent 16 years at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana prosecuting primarily narcotics and violent crime cases. She’s argued cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and has tried cases in every Federal Courthouse in the State of Montana.

Judge Elliott graduated law school in 2000 from Hofstra University School of Law and upon graduation worked at the New York County District Attorney’s Office where she spent eight years as an Assistant District Attorney prior to moving to Montana. She prosecuted a wide array of cases involving domestic violence, sex trafficking, narcotics and homicides.

Judge Elliott will be up for re-election in 2030.

John Larson

District Court Judge

Dept. 3

District Judge John W. Larson has served on the Montana state trial bench since 1993. He is the longest serving trial judge in Montana’s District Courts.

He has presided over more than 500 civil and criminal jury trials. In 1996 he established Montana’s first drug treatment court. This Court has served as a model for other similar courts around the country. He currently is a member of the Montana Supreme Court Drug Court Advisory Committee.

Judge Larson graduated in 1972 from Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota.  He graduated with distinction from the University of Pudget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law.  Following graduation Judge Larson was a Law clerk to the Montana Supreme Court and then practiced for 17 years prior to his judicial service. He was the last part-time Federal Magistrate Judge in Missoula serving from 1989-1992.

Judge Larson has been an active member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), serving two terms on its National Board of Trustees.  He has also served as President of the Montana Judge’s Association. Judge Larson has served on the Board of Directors of the Montana Legal Services since 2000.

Judge Larson received national recognition for Judge of the Year for the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program.

Judge Larson will be up for re-election in 2030.

Jason Marks

District Court Judge

Dept. 4

Gov. Steven Bullock appointed Hon. Jason Marks as judge to the Fourth Judicial District, Department 4, to replace Judge Karen S. Townsend who retired Aug. 2019. In addition to presiding over regular cases in Missoula and Mineral Counties, Judge Marks also presides over the Veteran’s Treatment Court and Co-Occurring Treatment in Missoula County.

Judge Marks was born and raised in Missoula. He received his J.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA in 2005. After returning to Missoula he served in both the Public Defender’s Office and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office. He was recognized as the Public Servant of the Year in 2009 by the Missoula Family Violence Counsel for his work on domestic violence cases. He was promoted in 2012 to supervise the prosecution of sexual assault and domestic violence cases in the Missoula County Attorney’s Office. In 2015 he was appointed to Chief Deputy County Attorney where he supervised both the criminal and civil divisions of the Missoula County Attorney’s Office until he was appointed to the bench by Gov. Bullock.

On a more personal level, Judge Marks is married and has three children that he feels lucky to be able to raise in the community where he grew up. He is an active member of the Missoula Kiwanis organization and has been a regular guest lecturer at the University of Montana Law School.

Judge Marks will be up for re-election in 2028.

Shane Vannatta

District Court Judge

Dept. 5

Governor Steve Bullock appointed the Hon. Shane A. Vannatta as district court judge to the newly-created Department 5 of the Fourth Judicial District in Feb. 2019. Judge Vannatta took the oath of office on February 22, 2019, and was unanimously confirmed by the Montana State Senate on March 8, 2019. Judge Vannatta will stand for election to his position in 2020.

Prior to assuming the bench, Judge Vannatta practiced law for 25+ years with the law firm of Worden Thane P.C. His legal practice focused principally in business law, and included advice for copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, employment, business acquisitions, real property, and contract drafting. He maintained both a transactional and litigation practice.

Judge Vannatta graduated in 1993 from The University of Montana Law School (J.D. with Honors). He served as President of the State Bar of Montana (September 2011-2012), and currently serves as the ABA Delegate from the State Bar of Montana, and on various ABA committees and commissions.

As a private practitioner, Judge Vannatta was recognized on numerous peer-reviewed lists, including Mountain States Super Lawyers®, Best Lawyers in America®, and Martindale-Hubbell. He was recognized in 2019 & 2016 as “Lawyer of the Year” for work in Corporate Law in Missoula, MT, and in 2014 as “Lawyer of the Year” for work in Litigation - Labor & Employment in Missoula, MT.

Judge Vannatta will be up for re-election in 2026.