Kari Michelle Agotness

District Court Judge

Appointed: 2021 - Present

Judge Agotness was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor Doug Burgum in 2021 for the Northeast Judicial District judgeship #5 located in Cavalier, ND.  

Born in 1973; Judge Agotness is a native of Park River. She earned her peace officer’s certificate from Lake Region State College in Devils Lake and her undergraduate degrees from the University of North Dakota.  She graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Law, and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on October 8, 2007.

Judge Agotness served as Ramsey County Clerk of District Court for nine years. She was appointed Ramsey County State’s Attorney in 2017 and elected to the position in 2018, overseeing criminal prosecutions, juvenile court, child support enforcement and civil actions, among other duties. She previously worked as a domestic violence advocate, a police officer and a special assistant attorney general for regional child support in Jamestown.

She is a fellow of the National Center for State Courts’ Institute for Court Management in Williamsburg, Va., and served as president of the Lake Region Bar Association and as a member of the Human Trafficking Protocol Team for Ramsey County.

Warren H. Albrecht

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1994 - 1994

Judge Albrecht was born in 1944. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1966 and served in the Army in the Vietnam War. He received his law degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1972 and entered the private practice of law in Bismarck. In 1994 he was appointed Judge of the South Central Judicial District, by Governor Edward T. Schafer. He lost in the 1994 election for the position. After leaving the state bench, he served as an Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration in Fargo.

Frank P. Allen

District Court Judge

Elected: 1905 - 1923

Judge Allen was born in New York City, December 19, 1859. He attended school in the United States, Germany, France and England. Graduated from Princeton University in 1881. Came to Dakota Territory in 1882, settling in Lisbon, North Dakota. He was elected Probate Judge of Ransom County in 1886. Served as County Judge with Increased Jurisdiction for several terms. He was elected Judge of the Fourth Judicial District in 1904, he served until 1919, when the judicial districts were revised he became Judge of the Third Judicial District from 1919 until his resignation in 1923. Judge Allen died in Glendale, California on November 14, 1947.

Mark H. Amundson

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1953 - 1962

Judge Amundson was born in Clear Lake, South Dakota, June 29, 1889. He attended Public schools of Alexandria, Minnesota, the College of Liberal Arts and Law School of the University of Minnesota, from which he graduated. He was admitted to the State Bar of Minnesota in 1915, and practiced law briefly at Alexandria and St. Paul, Minnesota. He was admitted to the Bar of Montana in 1916 and for a short time practiced law at Baker, Montana. Admitted to the North Dakota State Bar February 9, 1920. He practiced law at Bowman, North Dakota, from 1920 until May 1, 1953, when he was appointed Judge of the Sixth Judicial District, by Governor C. Norman Brunsdale, for the unexpired term of the late Judge Broderick. He served in that capacity until his death on October 13, 1962.

Sonna Marie Anderson

District Court Judge

Appointed: 2004 - 2018

Born in 1958, Bismarck, ND. Graduated Century High School, Bismarck, ND, 1976. Undergraduate education in Trondheim, Norway, 1978; received Bachelor's Degree from the University of North Dakota in 1981, major in Business Administration, minors in Norwegian and Spanish. J.D. degree from University of Denver College of Law, 1985. Admitted to North Dakota State Bar, 1985. Clerked for Mountain States Legal Foundation during law school. Clerked for Judge Patrick Conmy 1985-1987. In private practice in Bismarck, ND, 1987-2004. Appointed December 2003 by Governor John Hoeven to succeed Judge Benny Graff as district judge. Judicial term began Feb. 1, 2004. Elected district judge in 2006, 2010, 2016. Judge Anderson is married with two children. She retired effective June 20, 2018.

Norman J. Backes

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1978 - 2004

Born in 1937, Minot, ND. Graduate: Minot High School, St. John's University, Minot State College, JD from University of North Dakota. Admitted to Bar: 1966-1978, Fargo. Appointed District Judge in 1978 by Governor Arthur A. Link. Elected 1980, 1986, 1992, and 1998. Elected Presiding Judge June 30, 2003. Retired May 31, 2004. Member: Chairperson, Juvenile Procedures Committee of Judicial Conference; Cass County Bar Assn.; North Dakota State Bar Association; American Bar Association; National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Chair, Juvenile Policy Board; District Court Personnel Advisory Board. Married: Wife, VeeAnn. Three children.

Susan Bailey

District Court Judge

Elected: 2014 - Present

Judge Bailey was elected as District Court Judge in 2014 for the East Central Judicial District judgeship #1 located in Fargo, ND. 

Born in 1963; Judge Bailey graduated from the University of North Dakota with a Bachelor or Science degree in Math in 1986. She received her M.A. in counseling in 1988, and her Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1997, and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on October 6, 1997. 

She served as an Administrative Law Judge from 2006-2014, a Municipal Court Judge of West Fargo and Horace, North Dakota from 2004-2014, and Municipal Court Judge of Tower City, Kindred and Davenport, North Dakota from 2009-2014. Judge Bailey was the Assistant State's Attorney in Cass County from 2001-2006. 

Albert C. Bakken

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1967 - 1987

Judge Bakken was born near Sharon, North Dakota on December 19, 1920. Attended rural elementary school, Sharon High School, Mayville State College, University of Wisconsin and University of North Dakota, L. L. B. 1948. Practiced law at Finley, North Dakota; State's Attorney of Steele County 1949-1951; counsel for North Dakota Tax Department 1953-1954; First Assistant Attorney General 1955-1956; practiced law at Cooperstown, North Dakota 1957-1967; State's Attorney of Griggs County 1959-1966. On August 1, 1967 Governor William L. Guy appointed him Judge of the First Judicial District. With the reorganization of the district court system in 1979, he became Judge of the Northeast Central Judicial District. He served in that capacity until 1987. Judge Bakken died January 20, 2009 in Woodburn, Oregon.

Philip R. Bangs

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1960 - 1964

Judge Bangs was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, September 2, 1891. Graduated from the University of North Dakota, received his B. A. in 1913; Juris Doctor in 1915. Practiced law from 1915-1960, was lecturer at the University of North Dakota Law School from 1933-1960. He was appointed Judge of the First Judicial District by Governor John E. Davis on April 1, 1960, he served in that capacity until 1964. Judge Bangs died, June 16, 1969.

William M. Beede

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1971 - 1992

Born Sept. 19, 1922, at Bismarck, N.D. Received J.D. from University of North Dakota in 1949. Veteran of World War II and Korean Conflict. Practiced law in Elgin, North Dakota, 1949-1953; Grant County State's Attorney 1951-53; Counsel for Amerada Petroleum at Williston 1953-1971. In 1971, Governor William L. Guy appointed him Judge of the Fifth Judicial District and he won election to the post in 1974. With the reorganization of the district court system in 1979, he became Judge of the Northwest Judicial District, and was reelected in 1980 and 1986. Retired as district judge in 1992. Served as surrogate judge until Jan. 1, 2003. Died Nov. 25, 2006, at Westby, Wisc.

James M. Bekken

District Court Judge

Elected: 1995 - 2010

Born in 1948, Grand Forks, ND. Ph.B. in Social Studies and Mathematics, University of North Dakota 1970, and a J.D. with distinction, University of North Dakota School of Law 1977. Taught in Proctor, MN and Grand Forks, ND, 1970-74; Private law practice in New Rockford, ND, 1977-82. Elected 1982 County Court Judge for Benson, Eddy, Foster, and Wells Counties. Elected Judge of the Southeast Judicial District in 1994, 1998 and 2004. Member, North Dakota Judicial Conference and North Dakota Association of District Judges. Married: wife, Sandy. Three children: Scott, Aaron, Stephanie. Died May 3, 2010, at Rochester, Minn.

Anthony Swain Benson

District Court Judge

Appointed: 2015 - Present

Judge Benson was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor Jack Dalyrymple in 2015 for the Northeast Judicial District #3 located in Bottineau, ND. He was then elected in 2018.    

Born in 1970; Judge Benson received his Bachelor of University Studies at North Dakota State University in 1994.  He received his Juris Doctor at the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2000, and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on September 22, 2000.  He was in private legal practice in Bottineau, from 2000-2015 and served as the Assistant State's Attorney for Bottineau County. 

Asmunder Benson

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1954 - 1960

Judge Benson was born in Akra, Dakota Territory, July 28, 1885. Moved to Upham, North Dakota as a young boy and graduated from Upham High School. He worked while attending the University of North Dakota, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912, and his Law degree in 1915. Upon admission to the Bar, he moved to Bottineau, North Dakota, where he begin practicing law. He served on the City Council of Bottineau for ten years, and several terms as State's Attorney from Bottineau County. He was appointed Judge of the Second Judicial District, by Governor C. Norman Brunsdale on June 1, 1954, to succeed the Honorable Harold B. Nelson who had resigned. He served in that capacity until he resigned in late December, 1960. Judge Benson died on March 10, 1968.

Wallace D. Berning

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1979 - 1998

Born July 13, 1935, Carrolton, MO. Graduate: BS, Missouri University; JD, University of Missouri. Active duty U. S. Air Force 1960-64. Admitted to Kansas Bar in 1960 and North Dakota Bar in 1964. Practiced in Minot 1964-79. Appointed District Judge, Northwest Judicial District, by Governor Arthur A. Link in 1979. Elected in 1980, 1986, 1992. Presiding Judge 1980-91. Retired at end of 1998. Married: Wife, Mary Ellen. Two children.

Harry L. Berry

District Court Judge

Elected: 1921 - 1944

Judge Berry was born in Martin County, Minnesota, on November 25, 1871. After Graduating from Mapleton High School, he entered the University of Minnesota studying law, received his law degree from the University in 1903. He then moved to North Dakota where he practiced law at Anamoose, Harvey, Stanton and Killdeer, North Dakota. He served two terms as State's Attorney of Mercer County. He was elected Judge of the Sixth Judicial District of North Dakota in 1920, served in that capacity until his death on July 16, 1944.

Mark T. Blumer

District Court Judge

Elected: 2016 - 2022

Originally from Ellendale, ND. Graduate, North Sargent H.S., Gwinner, ND. U.S. Navy 1976-1980. B.A., History, University of Colorado. J.D., University of North Dakota School of Law. In private practice 1989-2016. Served as Dickey County State's Attorney. Elected District Judge 2016.

Bruce E. Bohlman

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1987 - 2004

Born in 1939, Thompson, ND. Obtained B.S.B.A. and J.D. from University of North Dakota. Private practice and teaching 1969-1987. Appointed to the Northeast Central Judicial District bench in November 1987 by Governor George A. Sinner. Elected 1988, 1992, and 1998. Chaired the North Dakota Judicial Conference. Chairs the North Dakota Continuing Judicial Education Commission. Married: wife Eunice, two children. Retired as District Judge Dec. 31, 2004. Served as Surrogate Judge 2005-2013.

Daniel J. Borgen

District Court Judge

Elected: 2018 - Present

Judge Borgen was elected as District Court Judge in 2018 for the South Central Judicial District judgeship #4 located in Bismarck, ND. 

Born in 1972; Judge Borgen attended Devils Lake High School and graduated in 1990. He served in the United States Navy from 1990 to 1993. He was a North Dakota Police Office Training Course graduate in 1995 and was a police officer in Cando and Devils Lake, ND from 1995-1997. Judge Borgen attended the University of North Dakota and received his Bachelor of Business Administration in 2000. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2004, and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on September 27, 2004.  He worked in private legal practice in Grand Forks from 2004-2007, and was a public defender in the Grand Forks from 2007-2012. He moved to Bismarck working in private legal practice from 2012-2018. 

Karen K. Braaten

District Court Judge

Elected: 2001 - 2014

Born in 1952, Fargo, ND. BA in Social Work, University of North Dakota, 1973. JD degree, University of North Dakota School of Law, 1979. Private practice in Grand Forks, ND 1979 - 2000. Elected Northeast Central Judicial District Judge in 2000, reelected in 2006, 2012. Married: husband, Jerry, 4 step-children. Judge Braaten died Oct. 4, 2014, at the age of 62.

Reid A. Brady

District Court Judge

Elected: 2020 - Present

Judge Brady was elected as District Court Judge in 2020 for the East Central Judicial District judgeship #5 located in Fargo, ND.  

Born in 1973; Judge Brady is a native of  Fargo, North Dakota. He received his Bachelor or Science and MSUM from North Dakota State University.  He received his Juris Doctor from the Unversity of North Dakota School of Law in 1999, and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on September 24, 1999.  Judge Brady received a law clerkship at the North Dakota Supreme Court with Justice Carol Kapsner from 1999 to 2000. He became the assistant North Dakota Attorney General from 2000 to 2003; and the assistant Cass County State’s Attorney from 2004 to 2020.