Opinions

Disciplinary Board v. Daniel 2024 ND 191
Docket No.: 20240182
Filing Date: 10/18/2024
Case Type: Discipline - Attorney - Disbarment
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Lawyer disbarment ordered.

Kath v. Farmers Union Mutual Ins. Co., et al. 2024 ND 190
Docket No.: 20240068
Filing Date: 10/10/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Personal Injury
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: An endorsement is part of the insurance contract. The body of an insurance policy and the endorsements are read as a whole with every attempt to give effect to all of the provisions. When there is a conflict between an endorsement and other policy provisions, the endorsement prevails.

Guardianship and Conservatorship of K.H.P. 2024 ND 189
Docket No.: 20240021
Filing Date: 10/10/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Guardian/Conservator
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: Unless a statute imposing a time limit declares the time limit is jurisdictional, we will not treat the time limit as affecting the jurisdiction of a court or administrative agency.

An issue is not justiciable if it is moot or not ripe for review, a party lacks standing, or resolving it would be advisory.

When petitioning for termination of a guardianship, the ward has the burden of establishing a prima facie case that he is no longer incapacitated. If the ward presents evidence strong enough, if uncontradicted, to support a finding in his favor, he has made a prima facie case.

The review process under N.D.C.C. § 30.1-28-04(5) does not provide the court statutory authority to reappoint an expert examiner. At the time of petitioning for termination in this case, N.D.C.C. § 30.1-28-07(3) (2022) did not give the court statutory authority to reappoint an expert examiner in the termination proceedings, or request an evaluative report and testimony.

After the ward establishes a prima facie case, the guardian has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the ward remains an incapacitated person.

Curtis v. Curtis, et al. 2024 ND 188
Docket No.: 20240115
Filing Date: 10/10/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Divorce
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: An appeal from a district court judgment is dismissed because the appeal was untimely. The time to appeal the judgment was not tolled under N.D.R.App.P. 4(a)(3)(A)(vi) because a Rule 60, N.D.R.Civ.P., motion was not filed and served within 28 days from notice of entry of judgment.

Samaniego v. State 2024 ND 187
Docket No.: 20240090
Filing Date: 10/10/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Bahr, Douglas Alan

Highlight: A prosecutor's question to a law enforcement officer whether, at any point during the officer's investigation, the officer interviewed the defendant did not violate the defendant's Fifth Amendment rights.

A court considering a motion for new trial based on alleged jury misconduct is prohibited from hearing testimony from or receiving declarations of jurors, subject to the exceptions under N.D.R.Ev. 606(b).

State v. Jalloh (consolidated w/20240009) 2024 ND 186
Docket No.: 20240010
Filing Date: 9/26/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Homicide
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Judgments entered after a jury found the defendant guilty of tampering with evidence and murder are summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(3) and (7).

State v. Jalloh (consolidated w/20240010) 2024 ND 186
Docket No.: 20240009
Filing Date: 9/26/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Judgments entered after a jury found the defendant guilty of tampering with evidence and murder are summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(3) and (7).

Martinez v. State 2024 ND 185
Docket No.: 20240064
Filing Date: 9/26/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: A district court order denying an application for postconviction relief from the judgment is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2).

Woolsey v. State 2024 ND 184
Docket No.: 20240109
Filing Date: 9/26/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: The Uniform Postconviction Procedure Act, N.D.C.C. ch. 29-32.1, does not apply to juvenile adjudications.

Liberty Petroleum Corp. v. NDIC, et al. 2024 ND 183
Docket No.: 20240022
Filing Date: 9/26/2024
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Administrative Proceeding
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: Pre-unitization costs of drilling and operating a well, which is now attributed to the unit, reasonably fall within the definition of unit expense. Under unitization, the risk penalty may be recovered out of, and only out of, production from the unit.

A physical taking is where the government requires an owner to suffer a permanent physical invasion of her property. Total regulatory takings occur when regulations completely deprive an owner of all economically beneficial use of her property. Property is subject to the police power of the state to impose such restrictions upon private rights as are practically necessary for the general welfare of all.

The Court accords greater deference to Industrial Commission findings of fact than it ordinarily accords to other administrative agencies' findings of fact. In orders approving a plan of unitization, the Commission made the required findings, and those findings are supported by substantial and credible evidence.