State of the Judiciary
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State of the Judiciary Message to the Bar 2009
I am pleased to be here today to deliver the Court's annual message to this assembly. I intend to outline briefly some of the matters, other than legal actions, that have occupied the Judicial Branch since I last spoke with you. We have decided to "go green" and this message has not been printed. -
State of the Judiciary Message 2009
This is the 9th State of the Judiciary message I have presented to you and the 25th Assembly of the North Dakota Legislature I have had the opportunity to observe. I do not take the privilege to appear before you lightly, and I continue to feel that sense of excitement and anticipation that, at least for me, comes with each session. -
State of the Judiciary Message 2008
In past years we have made printed copies of this message and attached to it the Annual Report of the Courts. Because both the State of the Judiciary and the Annual Report are readily accessible on the Supreme Court website, almost simultaneously with my appearance, we have not done so this year. The Supreme Court website address is: www.ndcourts.gov. -
State of the Judiciary Message to the Bar 2007
I am pleased to be here today to report on the State of the North Dakota Judiciary. I know your time is limited, so I will move right into my remarks. -
State of the Judiciary Message 2007
This past year we have been marking the thirtieth anniversary of the amendment of the North Dakota Constitution and the changes that brought to the Judicial Branch. Thirty years ago, we had a multi-tiered county and municipal court system with overlapping jurisdiction, judges without law training, and unwritten rules of court. -
State of the Judiciary Message 2006
Thirty years ago, the citizens of North Dakota voted to amend Article VI of the North Dakota Constitution. This amendment created a uniform court system and gave the Supreme Court administrative authority over the District courts and any lesser courts that may be established by law. What an act of great faith that was by the people of this state. -
State of the Judiciary Message to the Bar 2005
As I have stated in past presentations, change is ever present and it seems almost all consuming. In a quotation by E. B. White, he said, "The only sense that is common in the long run, is the sense of change - and we all instinctively avoid it." -
State of the Judiciary Message 2005
Over the entrance of the Yale Law School, there is a carved inscription that reads: "The law is a living growth, not a changeless code." So, in reviewing remarks from prior years, the focus has been on change. -
State of the Judiciary Message 2003
In our own time, much has happened since I appeared before you last legislative session. Events have occurred that are reshaping our world. Yet, our form of government, through the rule of law, not only prevails, but also provides a beacon for the free world. -
State of the Judiciary Message 2001
Chief Justice delivers State of the Judiciary Message Thank you for the privilege of appearing before you to present the State of the Judiciary Message at the beginning of a new century. We have just experienced a test of our constitutional form of government, and the rule of law prevailed. I share with you some words written by Martha Barnett, President of the American Bar Association, during the heat of the past election controversy