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November 7 2007

No. OP 06-0232 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 2007 MT 293 ____________________________________ LORI OBERSON, Legal Guardian for BRIAN MUSSELMAN, an incapacitated person; KIMBERLEE MUSSELMAN, individually and as the Natural Mother of DEVON MUSSELMAN, a minor, Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOREST SERVICE, Defendant. ____________________________________ ORIGINAL PROCEEDING: Certified Question, U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit The Hon. William W. Schwarzer, Senior District Judge; Hon. Ronald M. Gould and Hon. Marsha S. Berzon, Circuit Judges COUNSEL OF RECORD: For Plaintiffs: Andrew D. Huppert (argued), Attorney at Law, Missoula, Montana Tom L. Lewis and J. David Slovak, Lewis, Slovak & Kovacich, Great Falls, Montana For Defendant: H. Thomas Byron, III (argued), U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Division, Washington, D.C. Peter D. Keisler, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Division, Washington, D.C.

William W. Mercer, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Billings, Montana Victoria Laeder Francis, U.S. Attorney's Office, Billings, Montana For Amicus Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Robert N. Lane, Chief Counsel, Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Helena, Montana For Amicus Montana Trial Lawyers Association: Michael G. Eiselein, Lynaugh, Fitzgerald, Eiselein & Grubbs, Billings, Montana Lawrence A. Anderson, Attorney at Law, Great Falls, Montana For Amicus Montana Defense Trial Lawyers Association: Mikel L. Moore (argued), Christensen, Moore, Cockrell, Cummings & Axelberg, P.C., Kalispell, Montana ____________________________________ Argued: April 20, 2007 Submitted: May 1, 2007 Decided: November 7, 2007 Filed: _____________________________________________ Clerk

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Justice Brian Morris delivered the Opinion of the Court.

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Montana Law