Supreme Court amends emergency order on evictions Friday, April 24, 2020

The Supreme Court has amended Administrative Order 27 to remove the provision suspending eviction hearings except for good cause. The amendment continues the extension of the deadline to hold a hearing from 15 days to 45 days, and the authorization for the use of reliable electronic means to hold hearings and exchange evidence. 

Evictions, like juvenile court cases, are unusual because there are specific and very short deadlines to hold a hearing once a case is filed. Administrative Order 27 was originally issued on March 26, 2020 when most of the courthouses in the state began to restrict access to their buildings and court staff were transitioning to work from home in order to maintain the safety of all litigation parties and the North Dakota Judicial team members. Because of these limitations, the court needed to prioritize the order in which proceedings could be held. With some time and experience, the district court system is now in a position to move forward with processing new court filings and conducting electronic hearings without the need for the parties and some judicial staff to be physically present in the courthouse.

The Court remains mindful that the declared federal and North Dakota states of emergency continue and it has the procedures in place to maintain and protect the rights of all participants. 

Download the amended order in legislative format with changes shown.