Montana Code Annotated

Mont. Code Ann. § 46-16-402 (2026)

When Order May Be Departed From

✓ current as of May 2026
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TITLE 46. CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

CHAPTER 16. TRIAL

Part 4. Order of Trial

When Order May Be Departed From

46-16-402. When order may be departed from. For good cause shown and in the discretion of the court, the order prescribed in 46-16-401 may be departed from.

History: En. 95-1911 by Sec. 1, Ch. 196, L. 1967; R.C.M. 1947, 95-1911; amd. Sec. 202, Ch. 800, L. 1991.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases, 1980–2016 · leading case: State v. Hocevar, 2000 MT 157 (Mont. 2000).
State v. Hocevar, 2000 MT 157 (Mont. 2000). · cites it 4× “" ¶80 Susan contends that no good cause existed to allow the prosecution to offer evidence upon its original case pursuant to § 46-16-402, MCA. She states that Southall was not contacted by the State until approximately a week or two prior to the trial, and defense counsel was…”
State v. Grindheim, 2004 MT 311 (Mont. 2004). · cites it 4× “” 2 According to § 46-16-402, MCA, if good cause is shown, the district court has the discretion to depart from the order of the trial as prescribed in § 46-16-402, MCA.”
State v. Grindheim, 2004 MT 311 (Mont. 2004). · cites it 4× “2 According to § 46-16-402, MCA, if good cause is shown, the district court has the discretion to depart from the order of the trial as prescribed in § 46-16-402, MCA.”
State v. Robbins, 1998 MT 297 (Mont. 1998). · cites it 3× “Section 46-16-402, MCA. Indeed, the District Court had already, upon its own initiative, exercised this authority to depart from the order of trial specified in § 46-16-401, MCA, so as to provide a corrective instruction on deliberate homicide.”
State v. Keefe, 759 P.2d 128 (Mont. 1988). · cites it 3× “Section 46-16-402, MCA, states: “When the state of the pleading requires it or in any other case for good reason and in the discretion of the court, the order prescribed in 46-16-401 may be departed from.”
State v. Otto, 2014 MT 20 (Mont. 2014). · cites it 5× “The jury found Otto guilty of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs. ¶7 Otto filed a timely appeal.”
State v. White, 605 P.2d 191 (Mont. 1980). · cites it 3× “Section 46-16-402, MCA grants to the trial court the discretion to depart from that order of trial “for good reasons.”
State v. Young, 669 P.2d 239 (Mont. 1983). · cites it 3× “Section 46-16-402(4)(c), MCA. Young’s counsel did not offer any further instruction to the District Court on the lesser-included offense of misdemeanor theft.”
State v. Snaric, 862 P.2d 1175 (Mont. 1993). · cites it 3× “Section 46-16-402, MCA, allows the district court to exercise its discretion to depart from the usual order of trial for good cause.”
State v. Dobrowski, 2016 MT 261 (Mont. 2016). · cites it 3× “¶35 Section 46-16-402, MCA, allows a court to deviate from the order of trial “[f]or good cause shown and in the discretion of the court.”
State v. Hocevar, 2000 MT 157 (Mont. 2000). · cites it 2× “" ś 80 Susan contends that no good cause existed to allow the prosecution to offer evidence upon its original case pursuant to § 46-16-402, MCA. She states that Southall was not contacted by the State until approximately a week or two prior to the trial, and defense counsel was…”
— Mont. Code Ann. § 46-16-402(4)(c) — 1 case
State v. Young, 669 P.2d 239 (Mont. 1983). “Section 46-16-402(4)(c), MCA. Young’s counsel did not offer any further instruction to the District Court on the lesser-included offense of misdemeanor theft.”
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