October 15, 2025: U.S. District Court for the District of Montana Dismissed the Case
The U.S. District Court for the District of Montana dismissed the youth plaintiffs’ constitutional right-to-life case and denied their request for a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump’s executive orders that direct the federal government to “unleash” fossil fuels while obstructing wind and solar development.
The court found that, under current precedent, it lacked power to redress the plaintiffs’ injuries. Judge Christensen stated that he read Juliana v. United States to “mandate this outcome,” and added:
“If the Ninth Circuit disagrees, the undersigned welcomes the return of this case to decide it on the merits.”
Importantly, the court accepted the plaintiffs’ evidence in full:
The youth are already being harmed by climate change.
President Trump’s executive orders are worsening those harms.
Climate change poses a “children’s health emergency.”
The dismissal was purely procedural — not a ruling against the science, the plaintiffs, or their constitutional claims.