JoAnn Jayne

JoAnn Jayne is an American and Navajo politician and attorney from Montana, who served as a Democratic member of the Montana House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009.

She served as Justice of the Peace in Lake and Sanders County, Montana counties from 2012 to 2014. Jayne was the Democratic nominee in 2008 and 2012 for District Court Judge for Sanders and Lake counties. In 2012, she lost her bid for election after plagiarism charges regarding her application surfaced. She was also accused of illegal campaign practices by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, but was not formally charged. She had worked for them as an attorney from 1998 to 2000.

In 2018, Jayne was confirmed as Chief Justice of the Navajo Nation, succeeding Thomas J. Holgate and becoming the first non-acting chief justice since Herb Yazzie in 2015.