Interview with Marty Lambert

1. How long have you been a prosecutor? The Gallatin County Attorney?

31 years, 19 years

2. What do you like most about your job?

handle stressful, high profile cases (homicide, rape) great deal of reward
to meeting the victim/survivor/families and under difficult circumstances,
seeing the extreme fear and shame anxiety about future, starting a long
process and seeing it come to and end where they believe justice was
done, the experience, after sentencing there was relief and smiles that
were not seen for about 25 months of dealing of the case, gratifying

3. What do you dislike most about your job?

not one thing in particular, but can be time consuiming and frustrating,
position where he barely has adequate resources that he needs to do his
job with, 22 full time people working for him and 10 attorneys but they
dont get paid what public defenders get paid, in court opposing defenders
that are paid much more, he wants to get good justice in his cases, well
over 1000 cases

4. What is your relationship like with defense attorneys, such as Chuck

Watson?

cross swords with Watson for about 25 years, good relationship and
hopes reciprocated, tried never to be a game player, try to be humble and
appreciate the authority he has, to make tough decisions are ultimately
his, hopes he exercises good judgement, careful to not get in a situation
where he is throwing his weight around, gone toe to toe lots with Watson
(woman shot man in head now in womans prison), hope all attorneys
would say he is realistic and straight up, ultimately a lot of things to fight
about, protecting people, when things get personal its not a good thing,
contrary to best interest of justice system, shouldnt create issues in the
court, experience is very important, that competitive spirit needs to be
subseviant to the right thing for the justice system

5. What kind of cases do you typically see in Montana?

more crimes the past few years in gallatin county, drug cases prevalent
(heroin, meth), minimum sentencing>> few under Montana law, most are
federal sentencing guidelines, he thinks that most incarcerated persons
that get time because of drugs are repeat offenders who have lengthy
criminal records and he thinks that the cases that have gotten lot of
attention of abuse for incarcerated persons the individual cases actually a
lot of people have extensive criminal records, sometimes questions
injustice? Distinction between state and federal systems

6. In your opinion, what are some major factors that cause crime in
Bozeman?

drugs and alcohol

7. What is the biggest case you have handled in all your experience?

state of Montana vs john lebrum & Brandon miller > homicide and
aggravating kidnapping. Lebrum was an MSU football and miller was MSU
basketball all about cocaine and they kidnapped a kid (Jason wright) and
shot him in the head, left him in the experimental fields

8. What would you do if mid-way through a trial you became convinced the
defendant was innocent?

has never happened and doesnt think it ever will > if he though he was
innocent he would be ethically compelled to dismiss the case

9. How do you decide which crimes to prosecute?

general set of standards in his office, policies that deal with it. Difference
between crimes against persons and crimes against property and drug
crimes and needs higher terms of evidence for property and drug crimes,
aggressive with crimes against person, a reasonable possibility of a
conviction at trials

10. Does the prosecutor issue warrants of arrest?

no, that is a judicial function, lambert is an executive and decides if crimes

have been committed what the evidence is and defendents criminal
history, what gets filed, warrants come from judges and cops

11. How has your view of criminals changed over the course of your career?

when done as long as lambert, has prosecuted thousands of cases, run a

risk of looking for things that confirm your own beliefs of people, he has
learned to pause and recognize that there is another side to the story and
you should listen to it but might not give it the time of day bc far from truth,
but need to take the time to consider and listen, cautious and a more
considered approach, defenders asking him to give their clients a break
(might reduce a charge, agree to recommend no jail time)