A Montana judge has thrown out the guilty verdict against former Senate President Jason Ellsworth in a misdemeanor official misconduct case, citing a courtroom error that exposed jurors to sealed evidence they were not permitted to see.

Lewis and Clark County District Judge Christopher Abbott vacated the verdict Wednesday afternoon, one day after a jury found Ellsworth guilty. The decision came after court staff inadvertently provided sealed exhibits to jurors during their nearly four-hour deliberation session.

The Error and Its Discovery

The sealed documents concerned scheduling information related to potential witness Bryce Eggleston. Those exhibits had been sealed on the first day of trial during jury selection and were not legally admitted as evidence in the case. Despite their restricted status, they were included in materials sent to the jury room.

Ellsworth’s legal team discovered the error after the verdict was announced shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday. A juror disclosed details to the defense that were not part of the trial record, prompting the motion to vacate the conviction.

Judge Abbott acknowledged the mistake in his order. “It’s possible there were exhibits that were sent to the jury room that weren’t supposed to be there,” he said, adding that the sealed materials “were essentially put into the record for appellate purposes under seal on the first day of trial during jury selection, were included with the exhibits, but legally were not admitted as evidence and would not normally be relevant.”

What Comes Next

The case involved allegations that Ellsworth awarded no-bid contracts valued at $170,000 while serving in his legislative position. If convicted on the original charges, he faced up to six months in jail.

With the verdict vacated, prosecutors will face a decision on whether to retry the case. No immediate announcement was made regarding next steps in the prosecution.

Ellsworth, who served as the Montana Senate’s presiding officer, had been a prominent figure in the state Legislature. The case drew significant attention as one of the few official misconduct prosecutions in recent Montana legislative history.

The reversal underscores the importance of trial procedure in high-stakes cases. Errors in evidence handling, even inadvertent ones, can form the basis for overturning convictions if they potentially influenced jury deliberations. Judge Abbott’s decision reflected concern that the sealed materials, whatever their nature, could have swayed the jury’s decision-making process despite instructions to focus only on admitted evidence.