• About Me

    I was born at Kalispell, Montana in 1943 and grew up in a 2 parent home across from the family’s retail lumber yard. I attended Elrod Grade School, Central Junior High School and Flathead County High School. After graduating from high school in 1961, I went to college at Bozeman and Missoula, Montana. I have an AA degree from Flathead Valley Community College where I took courses in accounting, computer programing and math.

    I got married in 1965. The wife and I ran a retail service station station on North Main Street in Kalispell until we went broke. Then we moved to Seattle, Washington, where I got a job with Boeing as a tool maker and numerical controlled machine operator. Working 7 days a week allowed us to pay off the debts from the service station within 1 year.

    When the wife wanted to return to Montana, I worked for a short period as a flat rate mechanic at Libby, Montana and then opened up a production cabinet making shop at the family lumber yard. I also managed the retail business, for several years. This was the O’Neil Lumber Company at 424 Main Street, Kalispell, Montana.

    I have 5 children and 11 grandchildren, who live in Washington, Texas, Illinois and Indiana.

    Sometime in the 1960’s or early 70’s I ran twice, both times unsuccessfully, for a position on the board of Flathead Valley Community College.

    In 1980, as manager and vice president of the O’Neil Lumber Company, I took a lien foreclosure to the Montana Supreme Court and learned that attorneys enjoy a state supported monopoly.

    I got further educated about our justice system as the result of a messy court case associated with my divorce in the 70’s and 80’s. In 1983, representing myself in a 6 day jury trial, my children and I received a million dollar jury verdict. The judge overturned the jury verdict and I appealed his decision to the Idaho Supreme Court.

    A justice of the Idaho Supreme Court passed word down to me that politically they could not allow me to win the case unless I retained an attorney. Therefore I retained Dean Jellison, an attorney friend of mine, who successfully argued the case before the Idaho Supreme Court. When it was returned to the district court I disqualified the district court judge. Yet, after being timely disqualified from acting further in this case, this rogue judge improperly dismissed the case and in 1989 I had to go once again to the Idaho Supreme Court to have the case reinstated.

    In 1983 or 1984, while I still possessed the million dollar judgment (which I was never able to collect), I was invited to speak before a group of parents who were interested in improving Montana’s family laws. In order to help one of the parents whose child had been taken to the Blackfeet Reservation, I applied for and received a license to practice before the Blackfeet Tribal Courts. Sometime around then I started my practice as an “independent paralegal” and as a mediator.

    In 1986, even though I knew I would not be allowed to remain on the ballot, I ran for the position of justice on the Montana Supreme Court. My purpose for running was to demonstrate to the voters that our right to vote for the candidate of our choice is similar to the right Russian citizens have; i.e., you can vote for anyone you want as long as they are a member of the communist party (in Russia) or the American Bar Association party (in Montana).

    I enjoyed debating Terry Trieweiler on the radio about the unfairness of restricting the practice of law in Montana to just those who have graduated from law schools that are accredited by the American Bar Association. Later, in 2002, in Regards the Petition of Dana M. Culver, Justice Trieweiler, along with my friends Justice Patricia Cotter and Justice Jim Rice, joined together in the dissent to allow graduates of “non-accredited” law schools to take the bar examination in Montana. Hopefully someday we will get a majority on the side of justice.

    In 1994, to maintain the ballot status of the Montana Libertarian Party, I ran for the position of Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court. Receiving 32% of the vote, I set a record for the highest percentage of votes ever received by a Libertarian candidate in a state-wide race.

    In the 1990’s I ran, again unsuccessfully, for House District 84 of the Montana House of Representatives.

    In 2000 I ran for, and won, Senate District 42. At that time Columbia Falls and most of the area currently included in House District 3 were included in SD-42. When SD-42 was redistricted to Senate District 3 in 2004 the Columbia Falls area was removed from it. I successfully defended my seat for SD-3. After 8 years serving in the Montana State Senate I am now term-limited from running again for the Senate.

    In 2006, receiving 47% of the vote, I was unsuccessful in my run for Flathead County Justice of the Peace. But by running, I helped influence the Flathead County Commissioners not to restrict the justice of peace position exclusively to state licensed attorneys.

    After a battle of approximately 30 years I proud to report I have helped influence the Montana Supreme Court to allow to public to receive services from others than just state licensed attorneys. It is no longer any dispute that it is lawful for insurance agents, relaters, bankers and others to discuss the law and prepare legal documents for their customers.

    Because I am afraid we will lose our Constitutional form of government if we don’t start paying down our debts, I am now running for the Montana State House of Representatives. I can use your support. Thanks.