Northeast Judicial District

Devils Lake

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:57:18 GMT

Halbach, Peter, Judge

Nelson, Rebecca, Clerk
rebeccan@dvlnd.com
701-662-0718

Address
423 6th St NE, PO Box 1048
Devils Lake, ND 58301

Courtroom Address
222 Walnut St W
Devils Lake, ND 5830

Municipal Court at City's Website

Ashley Samuelson

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 20:16:11 GMT

Judge Samuelson was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor Kelly Armstrong on November 12, 2025, for the Northeast Judicial District Judgeship #4 located in Devils Lake, North Dakota.

Judge Samuelson is a native of the Northeast Judicial District, having been raised in Edmore, North Dakota. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Summa Cum Laude in Honors, with minors in Political Science and History at the University of North Dakota. Judge Samuelson went on to graduate from the University of North Dakota School of Law, earning her Juris Doctor with Distinction. She was admitted to the North Dakota Bar on October 8, 2007.

Following law school, Judge Samuelson clerked for the highly respected North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle. She then joined Robert Vogel Law Office, P.C., as an Associate Attorney in 2008. In 2011, she worked began working as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the North Dakota Department of Human Services Child Support Unit in Devils Lake, North Dakota. During that time, she was licensed and also practiced before the Turtle Mountain Tribal Court. In 2017, Judge Samuelson was hired as a law clerk for the Northeast Judicial District. In 2020, her position was reclassified and she became the first District Court Staff Attorney in the state.

Judge Samuelson has served as past president of the Lake Region Bar Association, past Executive Committee Member of the Women’s Law Section, past chair and member of the Inquiry Committee - Northeast, and a past member of the CLE Commission. She is a Certified Court Manager and is certified in Adult Mental Health First Aid as well as Collaborative Negotiation.

Cavalier

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:24:20 GMT

Benjaminson, Jim , Judge

301 Division Avenue N. Cavalier, ND 58220

701-265-8800

Teresa Anderson

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 15:47:59 GMT

Teresa Anderson

Kari Michelle Agotness

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:42:17 GMT

Judge Agotness was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor Doug Burgum on February 1, 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. Judge Agnotness was elected to office in the 2024.

M. Richard Geiger

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:32:26 GMT

Judge Geiger was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1951 and was raised in Cavalier, North Dakota. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from North Dakota State University in 1973 and received his Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1979. He was admitted to the North Dakota Bar on October 10, 1979. Following law school, Judge Geiger engaged in private practice in Grafton, North Dakota, from 1979 to 1987.

Judge Geiger began his judicial career in 1987 when he was elected to the county bench, serving Walsh, Pembina, and Cavalier Counties. He was re-elected to a second term and served through 1994. In 1994, he was elected District Court Judge for the Northeast Judicial District. He was subsequently re-elected in 2000, 2006, and 2012, and was chambered in Grafton throughout his tenure. Judge Geiger retired on September 30, 2017.

Judge Geiger served as president of the Northeast Judicial District Bar Association from 1990 to 1992 and, during that same period, served on the State Bar Association of North Dakota Board of Governors.

Judge Geiger chaired the task force responsible for publication of the North Dakota Trial Court Bench Book in 1994 and served as its editor until his retirement in 2017. He also served as both a member and chair of the Personnel Policy Board. In addition, he served as chair of the North Dakota Judicial Conference from 2011 to 2012, president of the North Dakota Judges Association from 2007 to 2008, and Presiding Judge for the Northeast Judicial District from 2001 to 2007.

In 2018, Judge Geiger received the State Bar Association of North Dakota Distinguished Service Award.

Following his retirement, Judge Geiger served one term as a surrogate judge. During that time, he also chaired the Judicial Ethics Advisory Commission. Judge Geiger is married and has one child.

Lee A. Christofferson

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:31:14 GMT

Judge Christofferson was born in 1946 and raised in Bisbee, ND. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from University of North Dakota and Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University. After the military, he entered private practice in Rolla and served as Rolette County States Attorney 1984-86. He was appointed Northeast Judicial District Judge in 1986 by Governor George A. Sinner. He was Elected in 1986, 1992, 1998, 2004 and 2010. Elected presiding judge in 1995. Retired in 2017.

Mikan Lovcik

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 18:55:57 GMT

Mikan Lovcik

Melissa Morden

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 18:55:13 GMT

Melissa Morden

Kathy Parrill

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 18:53:02 GMT

Kathy Parrill

St. John

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:54:20 GMT

Jeannotte, Bennett, Judge P.O. Box 336 Rolette 58366	701-477-4426

Belgarde, Wendy, Clerk PO Box 88 Belcourt 58316	701-477-5665 Email

Rugby

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:52:24 GMT

Adam, Leo, Judge 223 Main Ave S	701-776-6181

Munyer, Candy, Clerk 223 Main Avenue S Rugby 58368	701-776-6181 Fax: 701-776-6645 Email

Rollette

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:52:14 GMT

P.O. Box 38
Rolette 58366-0038

Rolla

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:51:37 GMT

Albert, Rebeca, Judge

Vacant, Clerk PO Box 1200 Rolla 58367-1200	701-477-3610 Email

Grafton

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:04:17 GMT

Erovick, Brian, Judge P.O. Box 578	701-352-1561 Email

Cyr, Lori, Clerk PO Box 578 Grafton 58237	701-352-1561 Fax: 701-352-2730 Email

Glenburn

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:03:54 GMT

Beall, Ashley, Judge
P.O. Box 97

701-838-8766

Drayton

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 21:38:11 GMT

Gozdal, Todd, Judge P.O. Box 280	701-360-0040 Fax: 701-454-3580 cityofdrayton@outlook.com

Sonia Misialek, Clerk of Court PO Box 280 Drayton 58225-0280	701-454-3590 Fax: 701-454-3580 cityofdrayton@outlook.com

New Salem

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 21:37:51 GMT

Kaffar, Mark, Judge
400 Main Ave
P.O. Box 393
New Salem, ND 58563
(p)701-843-7828
mark@hazenlaw.com

Davis, Melissa, Clerk
400 Main Ave
P.O. Box 393
New Salem, ND 58563
(p)701-843-7828
newsalem@westriv.com

Barbara L. Whelan

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 21:23:36 GMT

Judge Whelan was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor Doug Burgum in 2017 for the Northeast Judicial District judgeship #6 located in Grafton, ND.

Born in 1963 in Turtle Lake, ND. Judge Whelan received a Bachelor of Administration in Hospital Administration from Concordia College in 1986. She received a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1990. She was admitted to the N.D. Bar on March 10, 1993.

Judge Whelan worked in private legal practice in Maryland from 1990-1993. She worked in private legal practice in Hettinger from 1993-1994; and private legal practice in Grafton from 1994-1998. She was the Pembina County State's Attorney from 1999-2005; and the Walsh County State's Attorney from 2006-2017.

Michael P. Hurly

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 21:19:10 GMT

Judge Hurly was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor Doug Burgum in 2017 for the Northeast Judicial District judgeship #2 located in Rugby, ND.

Born in 1984; Judge Hurly received his Bachelor's degree in philosophy from North Dakota State University in 2000. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2005, and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on October 8, 2007.

Judge Hurly served as a law clerk for the 16th Montana Judicial District from 2005 to 2006. He was in private legal practice in Devils Lake from 2007 until his judgeship in 2017.