Benny A. Graff
District Court Judge/Surrogate Judge
Born in 1938, Hibbing, MN. Hibbing Junior College, A.S., 1958; University of North Dakota, B.S.Ch.E, 1961; J.D., University of North Dakota School of Law, 1964, with Order of the Coif; Editor, North Dakota Law Review. Admitted to the North Dakota Bar, 1964. Private practice in Mandan, ND, 1964-70. Corporate counsel for S.C. Johnson, Inc., Racine, Wisconsin, 1970-71; Assistant Counsel, U. S. Senate Subcommittee for Judicial Improvement, 1971; private practice in Carrington, ND, 1971-74. Appointed District Judge, February 1, 1974; elected 1974, 1980, 1986, 1992, and 1998. Presiding Judge from 1976 until his retirement. Chief Presiding Judge in 1987. Retired as District Judge, January 31, 2004. Appointed Surrogate Judge, 2004. Married: wife, Kay; two children.