BILLINGS - Former Yellowstone County prosecutor Edward Zink was sworn in Monday as the newest 13th Judicial District Judge, bringing three decades of legal experience to the bench.
The courtroom ceremony, which was officiated by Judge Rod Souza, was filled with family, friends, and colleagues celebrating Zink’s transition to judge.
Watch Ed Zink talk about his new journey:
“I'm looking forward to learning and seeing the law from a different perspective,” Zink said after the ceremony.
Zink said his decision to pursue the judgeship stemmed from witnessing the challenges facing the court system firsthand.
“After a long career as a prosecutor, I saw the caseloads and the workloads and the backlog in the judiciary, and I saw how hard the judges were working. I wanted to be part of the solution and to help,” Zink said.
Zink emphasized that public service runs deep in his family values.
“Our family has always had a heart for service and for public service. It matters to us,” Zink said.
Zink said that one of his biggest inspirations is his son, Will.
“He locks onto a goal and pushes through adversity and whatever obstacles are there and goes all the way through to the finish. And I think that's admirable. But mostly his heart is to help other people and to serve his country. And I admire that,” Zink said.
Zink plans to focus on reducing case delays, particularly in civil matters that he believes take too long to resolve.
“The civil cases on that side tend to languish and last far longer than they should. And that's not fair to people who come to court to get their most important matters taken care of,” Zink said.
With a new structure and the addition of Zink there will be 10 judges for District 13.
“The idea is that the criminal side will have five dedicated judges to handle those cases, and five other judges will handle everything else and to make sure that things are moving much faster than they used to,” Zink said.
Zink’s main goal focuses on ensuring fair and timely justice for all who enter his courtroom.
“I want to make sure that the process works, that the rules are applied fairly, and that everyone gets their day in court, which is what our Constitution mandates. And it's extremely important,” Zink said.
