Joint Procedure Committee Meeting

Scheduled on Thursday, September 24, 1998 @ 11:00 AM

AGENDA
JOINT PROCEDURE COMMITTEE

The Agenda retains page numbers for convenience of referring to the printed materials, even though they are irrelevant to accessing the documents on the Web.

Not all committee documents are available on the Web at this time (because they are not presently available in an electronic format).

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Questions or comments may be directed to Joint Procedure Committee Staff Attorney Gary Raedeke - GaryR@ndcourts.gov.

I. Roll Call

II. Minutes of April 30 - May 1, 1998 Meeting .... 1

III. Unfinished Business

A. Rule 407, N.D.R.Ev.; Subsequent Remedial Measures

For the purpose of the exclusionary rule, the Committee will consider whether the determinative event for classifying a remedial measure as "prior" or "subsequent" should be the time of injury or harm to someone or the time of the negligent act. Rule 407's applicability to strict products liability actions will also be addressed.

1. Memorandum on Rule 407 17
2. Chase v. General Motors Corp., 856 F.2d 17 (4th Cir. 1988) 20
3. Rule 407, Fed.R.Ev. .. 24
4. Alternative 1, Rule 407, N.D.R.Ev. . 25
5. Alternative 2, Rule 407, N.D.R.Ev. . 27
6. Alternative 3, Rule 407, N.D.R.Ev. . 29
7. Alternative 4, Rule 407, N.D.R.Ev. . 31

B. Rule 801, N.D.R.Ev.; Preliminary Factual Determinations for Admissibility

Before an admission by a party-opponent may be admitted into evidence, the court must make preliminary factual determinations to ensure the statement properly fits within the rule's definitions of an admission by a party-opponent. The Committee will consider an amendment preventing the court from "bootstrapping" the admissibility of the evidence, by prohibiting the court from considering the admission itself when making its preliminary factual determinations.

1. Memorandum on Rule 801 33
2. State v. Lind, 322 N.W.2d 826 (N.D. 1982).... 36
3. Zajac v. Great American Ins. Companies, 410 N.W.2d 155 (N.D. 1987) .... 38
4. Bourjaily v. U.S., 483 U.S. 171 (1987) .. 39
5. Rule 801, Fed.R.Ev .. 44
6. Alternative 1, Rule 801, N.D.R.Ev. . 45
7. Alternative 2, Rule 801, N.D.R.Ev. . 51

C. Rule 804, N.D.R.Ev.; Forfeiture by Wrongdoing Hearsay Exception

The Committee will decide whether to recommend adoption of a new hearsay exception entitled "Forfeiture by Wrongdoing." The exception provides a party forfeits the right to object on hearsay grounds to the admission of a declarant's prior statement when the party's deliberate wrongdoing or acquiescence therein procured the unavailability of the declarant as a witness.

1. Memorandum on Rule 803 57
2. Rule 803, Fed.R.Ev .. 58
3. Proposed Rule 803, N.D.R.Ev. .. 59
4. Rule 804, Fed.R.Ev .. 66
5. Alternative 1, Rule 804, N.D.R.Ev. . 67
6. Alternative 2, Rule 804, N.D.R.Ev. . 70
7. Rule 807, Fed.R.Ev .. 73
8. Proposed Rule 807, N.D.R.Ev. .. 74

D. Amendment of Judgment by Different Judge

The Committee will consider whether to recommend a rule allowing a judge to amend a misdemeanor judgment of another judge.

1. Memorandum On Amending Judgments 76
2. Letter from William Strutz .... 77
3. Letters from Judge Graff . 78
4. Section 27-05-27, N.D.C.C 80
5. Section 27-15-21, N.D.C.C 82
6. Section 27-05-22, N.D.C.C 84
7. Alternative 1, Rule 3.3, N.D.R.Ct. . 85
8. Alternative 2, Rule 3.3, N.D.R.Ct. . 87
9. Alternative 3, Rule 3.3, N.D.R.Ct. . 89
10. Alternative 4, Rule 32, N.D.R.Crim.P. ... 90

IV. New Business

A. Clerk of Court Consolidation

The Committee will begin consideration of the amendments that will be necessary if the Legislature consolidates clerk of court offices.

1. Memorandum on Clerk Consolidation 94
2. Gavel Feature .. 95
3. State of Judiciary Message .... 97
4. Judiciary Committee Minutes ... 98
5. Proposed Rule 5, N.D.R.Civ.P. . 99
6. Proposed Rule 10, N.D.R.Civ.P. 101
7. Proposed Rule 27, N.D.R.Civ.P. 104
8. Proposed Rule 45, N.D.R.Civ.P. 108
9. Proposed Rule 5, N.D.R.Crim.P. 112
10. Proposed Rule 20, N.D.R.Crim.P. .... 117
11. Proposed Administrative Rule 6 121
12. Proposed Administrative Rule 9 123
13. Proposed Administrative Rule 13 .... 124
14. Proposed Administrative Rule 19 .... 129

B. Recommendations of Family Law Task Force

The Committee will consider whether to recommend adoption of a new Rule 8.6, N.D.R.Ct., governing lay guardians ad litem, and a new Rule 8.7, N.D.R.Ct., governing law-trained guardians ad litem.

1. Memorandum on Rule 8.6 134
2. Family Law Task Force Report .. 135
3. Guardian Ad Litem Survey . 141
4. N.D.C.C. § 14-09-06.3 .... 145
5. Proposed Rule 8.6, N.D.R.Ct. .. 146
6. Alternative Draft, Rule 8.6, N.D.R.Ct. .. 149
7. N.D.C.C. § 14-09-06.4 .... 153
8. Proposed Rule 8.7, N.D.R.Ct. .. 154
9. Alternative Draft, Rule 8.7, N.D.R.Ct. .. 158
10. Proposed Rule 4.1, N.D.R.Ct. .. 163
11. Appendix Form B, N.D.R.Ct. .... 164
12. Proposed Appendix Form B, N.D.R.Ct. 166

C. Length of Time for Signing Deposition

The Committee has a request to extend the time for signing a deposition from 10 days to 30 days as in Rule 30, Fed.R.Civ.P.

1. Memorandum on Rule 30 169

2. Letter from Daniel Kuntz . 170

3. Proposed Rule 30, N.D.R.Civ.P. 171

D. Change in Location of Rule 77(d), N.D.R.Civ.P.

The Committee has a request to move subdivision (d) governing notice of entry of judgment into Rule 58 which governs entry of judgment.

1. Memorandum on Rule 77 173
2. Letter from Robert Hoy ... 174
3. Proposed Rule 58, N.D.R.Civ.P. 175
4. Proposed Rule 77, N.D.R.Civ.P. 178
5. Proposed Rule 4, N.D.R.App.P. . 181

E. Venue in Civil Cases

The Committee will discuss N.D.C.C. §§ 28-04-09 and 28-04-10 which are the two new statutes governing venue in civil cases. Issues for discussion include the criteria for changing venue; the grounds, if any, for objecting to a change in venue; and how to reconcile the rules of procedure and the statutes.

1. Memorandum on Venue 183
2. Legislative Council Report .... 185
3. N.D. Trial Lawyers Association Comments . 187
4. Sections 28-04-07, 28-04-09, and 28-04-10, N.D.C.C ... 188
5. Alternative 1, Rule 77, N.D.R.Civ.P. .... 189
6. Alternative 2, Rule 77, N.D.R.Civ.P. .... 192
7. Alternative 3, Rule 77, N.D.R.Civ.P. .... 195

F. Venue in Criminal Cases

The Committee will discuss N.D.C.C. § 29-01-33, which is the new statute governing venue in criminal cases. Issues for discussion include the criteria for changing venue, the grounds, if any, for objecting to a change in venue, and how to reconcile the rules of procedure and the statute.

1. Memorandum 2 on Venue 198
2. Section 29-01-33, N.D.C.C 200
3. Section 29-15-01, N.D.C.C 201
4. Proposed Rule 18, N.D.R.Crim.P. .... 202
5. Alternative 1, Rule 21, N.D.R.Crim.P. ... 204
6. Alternative 2, Rule 21, N.D.R.Crim.P. ... 211

G. Rule 4, N.D.R.Civ.P.; Service Upon a Governmental Entity

The Committee will decide whether to recommend expansion of the category of persons upon whom service may be made to effect service upon a governmental entity.

1. Memorandum on Rule 4 219
2. Gessner v. City of Minot, 1998 ND 157 ... 220
3. N.D.R.C. § 28-06-04 . 225
4. Provisions for Service Upon Governmental Entity .... 226
5. Outline of Pertinent Statutory Provisions.... 234
6. Proposed Rule 4, N.D.R.Civ.P. . 238