Montana’s Open Meetings Law guarantees its people the right to search for, get, and utilize records held by authorities, which includes arrest records, court records, marriage and divorce certificates, and records of traffic infractions, and this legal right includes the people of Cardwell. This statute, itself in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act at the country wide level, provides Cardwell residents with details relating to cases of governmental intervention, such as the addresses and names of those involved, the events leading up an incidence, outcomes and sentences handed down, and much more. Inhabitants of Cardwell have the ability to better understand their rights because of these laws, and the transparency provided by the release of these records keeps both criminals and authorities culpable with regard to their actions, consequently resulting in a more open and free society for everybody.