The Jefferson County Justice Court is a Court of Limited Jurisdiction that handles initial appearances for all felony cases, and all misdemeanor initial appearances, arraignments, and sentencings.  Justice Court hears civil cases for award amounts up to $15,000, small claims cases valued up to $7,000, landlord/tenant disputes, local ordinances, forcible entry and detainer, protection orders, certain issues involving juveniles, and other matters.

Justice Court judges are elected—unless appointed to fill a vacated position—and all Justice Court judges serve four-year terms. Justice Court judges are not required to be attorneys, but many Justice Court judges in Montana are licensed to practice law. All Justice Court judges must attend two Supreme Court-supervised training conferences each year and pass a Certification Examination each term.