The Sweet Grass County Attorney is Patrick Dringman. Pat graduated from Montana State University and went on to the University of Montana to complete his law degree in 1994. Pat moved to Sweet Grass County in 1998 has been the county attorney since January, 2004.
The Sweet Grass County Attorney is elected to serve the public:
– As the state’s prosecutor for crimes committed by adult and juvenile offenders. The office prosecutes felony criminal offenses committed within Sweet Grass County and misdemeanor offenses that occur within the county, but outside the city of Big Timber.
– As an agent to handle the collection of non-sufficient funds (NSF) and closed account checks which have been returned by a financial institution to the payee. Please see our office policy regarding bad checks. If you have received a bad check and would like our office to prosecute, you must first send a letter to the bad check writer requesting that the check be made good. We also require that you provide us with some information regarding the incident. Note: checks which have been forged must be referred to an appropriate law enforcement agency for an investigation before any action can be taken by this office.
– As the legal advisor for the Board of County Commissioners, all county departments and other related agencies such as the Weed Board, Conservation District, county schools, and Pioneer Medical Center.
– As the legal representative for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services in child neglect cases and to help protect incapacitated persons who do not have someone who can or will look out for their interests.
– As the legal representative for professional persons seeking to commit persons to an appropriate facility who are seriously mentally ill or seriously developmentally disabled.
The Sweet Grass County Attorney does not provide legal help to private citizens. As a full-time County Attorney, the law prohibits him from engaging in the private practice of law as well as providing legal advice to the general public.