US Senate Confirms 2 Federal Judges for Montana

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. Senate has confirmed two nominees for federal judgeships in Montana.

The Billings Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1h6CFEl ) the Senate voted Thursday night to confirm Montana Supreme Court Justice Brian Morris as a U.S. District Court judge for Great Falls while state District Court Judge Susan Watters was confirmed as a federal judge in Billings.

Watters has served as a state district judge in Billings for 15 years and is the first woman in Montana to be appointed as a federal judge. She replaces retired U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull.

Morris, who has been a Supreme Court justice since 2005, will replace U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon, who semi-retired at the end of 2012.

The lifetime appointments pay an annual salary of $174,000.

They are expected to be sworn in next week.