Judicial Commission Hearing set for Hicks

The Montana Judicial Standards Commission set a date for the hearing of Judge Gary D. Hicks, who is accused of making inappropriate sexual comments to several women.

The hearing will be held at the Lincoln County Courthouse from Aug. 19-21. The entire proceeding is open to the public.

Justices Ed Mclean and Gary Day will preside. They were elected by the state's district court judges. Also joining in the hearing are two citizens appointed by the governor and one attorney appointed by the Supreme Court.

Hicks is being accused of sexual impropriety by six named females and five “Jane Does.” All named females appeared before Judge Hicks at one time or another, where they complain of inappropriate comments on their physical appearance. But Hicks has also been accused of offering legal aide in exchange for a “physical” relationship, according to court documents.

The first complaint was made to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office in April of 2007. The case was quickly handed over to the state Division of Criminal Investigation, and eventually landed at the Judicial Standards Commission.

The case is not a criminal one, but Hicks faces a range of consequences from a formal censure to permanent removal.

Hicks has refuted the charges as untrue, pointing to a polygraph test he undertook at the request of his attorney, Tammi Fisher.