Montana Supreme Court Rules Attorney General Overstepped Authority in Gallatin County Dispute
The Montana Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that Attorney General Austin Knudsen exceeded his authority when he attempted to take supervisory control over Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell's office. The conflict originated in October 2025 when Cromwell's office advised county records personnel that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not entitled to confidential criminal justice information without a court order. In April, Attorney General Knudsen exercised his supervisory powers, ordering Cromwell to fulfill ICE requests. Cromwell complied but noted her reservations about the legal analysis. She subsequently filed a petition with the Montana Supreme Court, arguing that Knudsen had overstepped his authority. Justice James Shea, writing the unanimous opinion, stated that a county attorney has responsibilities to both the state and the county, and the Attorney General's supervisory control only extends to state-related duties, not when the county attorney acts as a legal advisor to ...
