©2015 Concerned Citizens of Western Montana

The non-lawyer Senator claims he has “read all the jurisprudence” related to this water compact, and in it the “Tribes have won everything.”  Excuse me?  Here’s the definition for your consideration:

Jurisprudence: The philosophy of law. Jurisprudence implies creating a body of law and methods for interpreting the law, studying the relationships between law and society, and predicting the effects of legal decisions.~Merriam-Webster

Publication2The 300 hours that Chas Vincent says he has spent on the Compact would never allow him to have read the compact and “all the jurisprudence”, let alone all the case law, which we presume he is actually referring to.  Does he honestly claim he can predict the effects and outcome of legal decisions?  And as sitting senator representing the state of Montana, shouldn’t he be reading up on, well,  state law and the Montana and U.S. Constitutions?

There are highly qualified real lawyers, such as those of the Montana Land and Water Alliance, that have more than 100 years experience collectively in water law and Indian law, including 30 years before the United States Supreme Court.  And they do an awful lot of reading, still, for even the narrowest of questions that are asked.

Oh wait… the “300-hour Compact Expert” thinks these professionals would be disbarred if they practiced law in Montana.   Them’s fightin’ words.  Really?  Gee, do you think its because they actually know water law and federal reserved water rights and aren’t buying what he and the compact commission are selling?

Mr. Vincent and the Compact Commission, as well as their lackeys, have to discredit the opposition because of the credibility their arguments have brought to the table.  After all, “that’s the way they do business”.
