Mike Wheat

Micheal Wheat
Honorable
Justice of the Montana Supreme Court
In office
2010โ€“2017
Preceded byJohn Warner (judge)
Succeeded byIngrid Gustafson
Personal details
Born1947 (age 78โ€“79)
PartyDemocratic
SpouseDebby
Children4
EducationUniversity of Montana, Missoula (BA)
University of Montana, Missoula (JD)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States of America
Branch/service United States Marine Corps

Mike Wheat (born 1947) was a justice of the Montana Supreme Court from 2010 to 2017. He was appointed to the court in 2010 [1] by Governor Brian Schweitzer to fill the vacated seat of Justice John Warner.[2]

Background

Wheat was born in Spokane, Washington, in 1947.[2] He served with the United States Marine Corps and fought in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969 and was awarded the Purple Heart.[3] After the war Wheat attended the University of Montana and graduated with a BA in Political Science in 1975.[3] He received his JD from the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana in 1978.[3] After graduation he worked as a deputy county attorney in Butte, Montana until 1981, when he moved to Bozeman, Montana to start his own private law firm,[3] Cok, Wheat & Kinzler.[4]

Wheat was elected to the Montana State Senate and served two Legislative sessions from 2002 to 2005.[1] In 2008 Wheat ran an unsuccessful primary for Montana state attorney general.[4] Wheat was re-elected to the Montana Supreme Court in 2010 and 2014.[3] In 2017, Wheat announced that he would retire at the end of the year to spend more time with his family.[3] His successor on the Montana Supreme Court is Ingrid Gustafson.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Supreme Court of Montana Biographies". Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Bureau, Charles S. Johnson IR State. "Gov picks Wheat for seat on high court". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved December 18, 2017. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Menden, Joe (August 2017). "Wheat announces he will retire as Supreme Court justice at end of year". Montana Lawyer. 42 (9): 11.
  4. 1 2 Bureau, Jennifer McKee IR State. "Wheat sworn in to high court". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved December 18, 2017. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. โ†‘ "Billings judge to replace Wheat on Montana Supreme Court". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved December 18, 2017.