Powell Court

The Powell Court facility contains the Powell District Court (Phone No. 406-846-3680), the Deer Lodge City Court (Phone No. 846-9793) and the Deer Lodge Justice Court all of which are in the Third judicial district of Montana.. The Justice court holds hearings for traffic and civil ordinance violations occurring outside of the Deer Lodge city limits and the City court holds them for those occurring inside its city limits. With its long expanse roads such as IS 90, US 12, SR 141 and SR 200 run for long distances through Powell county. IS 90 runs along the Eastern edge of Deer Lodge and IS 90 Business runs through the town.

Like most other cities in this region, Deer Lodge is surrounded by mountains. Flint Creek Range, which includes Mount Powell, lies to the West of town and the Boulder Mountains lie to the East. The city got its beginning with the explosion of mining in the area and in particular when gold was discovered near the city. However ranches and farms have have been around Deer Lodge for a long time and still remain to this day. The city decided to spruce up the place and the downtown area has been completely restored. Deer LOdge has the dubious honor of being known for its prisons; the main prison in Montana is located here and this was the site of the Old Montana State Prison which is now a museum. The building was erected by inmate labor and had the honor of once housing a member of th Butch Cassidy gang. Now days you can tour the prison and see the Cell House, the slide bar cells and the black box of maximum security as well as Guns, shackles, restraints, artwork prepared by former inmates and lethal weapons fashioned from kitchen forks and simple tools. The Little Blackfoot river, just outside of town, attracts the most ardent of fly fishermen who come for the brown and cutthroat trout.