Montana Title 7. Local Government § 7-32-2121. Duties of sheriff

(1) preserve the peace;

(2) arrest and take before the nearest magistrate for examination all persons who attempt to commit or have committed a public offense;

(3) prevent and suppress all affrays, breaches of the peace, riots, and insurrections that may come to the sheriff's knowledge;

(4) perform the duties of a humane officer within the county with reference to the protection of animals;

(5) attend all courts, except municipal, justices', and city courts, at their respective terms or sessions held within the county and obey their lawful orders and directions;

(6) command the aid of as many inhabitants of the county as are necessary in the execution of the sheriff's duties;

(7) take charge of and keep the detention center and the inmates in the detention center, unless the detention center is operated by a private party under an agreement entered into under 7-32-2201 or by a detention center administrator or by another local government;

(8) endorse upon all notices and process the year, month, day, hour, and minute of receipt and issue to the person delivering them, on payment of fees, a certificate showing the names of the parties, the title of the paper, and the time of receipt;

(9) serve all process or notices in the manner prescribed by law;

(10) certify in writing upon the process or notices the manner and time of service or, if the sheriff fails to make service, the reasons for this failure, and return the papers without delay;

(11) take charge of and supervise search and rescue units and their officers whenever search and rescue units are called into service; and

(12) perform other duties that are required by law.