Choteau Acantha v. Gianforte

Summary

The Court affirmed judgment on the pleadings because the advisory council’s preemptive, blanket closure of judicial-applicant interviews and deliberations violated the statutory procedure governing closure of public meetings. The presiding officer was required to assess closure in real time and limit any closure to the period when discussion actually concerned individual privacy. The Court resolved the appeal on statutory grounds and declined to decide whether judicial applicants had a constitutional privacy interest in their qualifications.