On Thursday (Feb. 27) Municipal Court will be closed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Published on August 25, 2023
HELENA, Mont. – On Thursday, Aug. 31, the Lewis and Clark County Justice Court and Helena Municipal Court will team up to host a Food for Fines event. The event, which will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., will allow people to donate non-perishable food items to receive a credit toward their fines. People can stop by Van’s Thriftway or the County Courthouse from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to drop-off food in front of either building.
Montana Code Annotated allows courts to collect food for a local foodbank and give credit for fines. For this event, defendants are allowed to bring up to 20 items and will receive $5 credit for each towards their fines ($100 maximum). Fine credit will be honored in the courts of Lewis and Clark County Justice of the Peace Michael G. Swingley and Justice of the Peace Mark V. Piskolich, as well as Municipal Court Judge Anne Peterson. Donations cannot be used towards any restitution balance.
The food drive is being organized by Judge Swingley. Items that are collected will be donated to Helena Food Share to help provide Kids Packs to area schools. Each week the schools give out packs of food and snacks to children to take home on weekends. The Kids Packs are mostly for those children that may not have adequate nutrition over the weekend. On average 1200 packs of food are given out each week.