Butte bail bondsman sentenced after being found guilty of homicide

BUTTE – Butte bail bondsman Jay Hubber was sentenced to prison on Thursday, June 20 after being convicted in March of willful manslaughter in the December 2021 death of Bill Harris.

Hubber was sentenced to 60 years in prison, 20 of which were suspended for homicide. He was sentenced to an additional 20 years for burglary.

Watch Previous Coverage: Butte Bailiff, Assistant Convicted of Homicide

Butte bail bondsman and assistant found guilty of homicide in fatal shooting

In March, a 12-member jury found Hubber and his assistant, Nicholas Jaeger, responsible for the shooting death of William Harris at his home at 815 Main Street on the evening of December 19, 2021.

Jaeger fired the shots that killed Harris and was convicted of deliberate homicide. He is currently awaiting sentencing.

Prosecutors alleged that Hubber recruited Jaeger to help him find a man wanted for skipping bail who was staying at Harris' home.

The two men entered the house without permission and Hubber began fighting with the man he was trying to arrest. Harris asked the men to leave his home while Hubber struggled with the wanted man. In Chaos, Jaeger retrieved Hubber's weapon and killed Harris twice.

In May 2023, Governor Greg Gianforte signed HB 62, a bill proposed in response to Hubber and Jaeger's case and passed during the 2023 Montana legislative session. The law requires, among other provisions, that bail bondsmen have no felony convictions, have a high school diploma and complete 40 hours of training to become licensed.