President Donald Trump has planted a new federal judge in a Montana courtroom that’s long handled high-profile environmental litigation.
Former federal prosecutor and Montana state Republican legislator William Mercer is still just getting used to his black robes in the federal courthouse in Missoula, where he was sworn in on Nov. 12.
“My judicial philosophy includes respect for the rule of law, which will limit my legal conclusions to the facts and applicable law presented regardless if they align with what I perceive as the preferred outcome,” Mercer assured members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation proceedings.
His track record, though, suggests that environmental litigants can expect some notable differences from the Democratic appointee he’s replacing, Judge Dana Christensen.
