Justice of Peace goes to Sheffield

Lincoln County Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield won a race between a pair of incumbents vying for a new job. Sheffield defeated Justice of the Peace Stormy Langston by securing 53 percent of the vote. 

The election keeps Sheffield at home in his Libby courtroom as county commissioners have seven weeks to close the Eureka extension. Sheffield said he spoke with

commissioners early Wednesday morning about the transition after a late night watching returns.

The dissolution of the Eureka location was an unpopular decision in the county’s north end. Langston said she saw the election results as reflective of a north-versus-south conflict. The numbers support Langston’s analysis — Eureka precincts voted heavily for Langston, while Libby precincts swayed strongly for Sheffield. Many residents of the town 70 miles north of Libby fear they will face a serious burden traveling to south for simple court procedures. 

Sheffield said the Internet will help. He plans to utilize a video-conferencing system that will allow people to appear face-to-face with Sheffield while standing in Eureka. There are also plans to expand online fine payment accessibility. While technology will play a large factor in criminal matters, Sheffield said he plans to soon determine how often he will travel north to handle civil cases. 

“It could be once every two weeks, it could be once a month,” Sheffield said. “We’ll have to see what is needed.”

Then there is the logistical challenge of physically transporting all the files held in the 105-year-old office. The Libby courthouse will serve as the official county repository beginning in 2015. 

While the transition is officially someone else’s problem now, Langston said she would be willing to assist in the effort if contacted by county commissioners. After a sometimes testy campaign, Langston called Sheffield to congratulate him on his victory. 

“I want to thank everyone for their support and kind words,” Langston said. “It was a great campaign, and it was up to the people. I’ll be alright.”