Search Tips

Opinions

On this page, you can search and view the Supreme Court’s opinions. If you wish to review the docket or documents filed in a matter, please go to the Court’s public portal search page.

2001 - 2050 of 12359 results

State v. Goldsack (consolidated w/20180266) 2019 ND 36
Docket No.: 20180265
Filing Date: 2/21/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Drugs/Contraband
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Judgment revoking probation and sentencing defendant to six years’ imprisonment summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2), (4) and (7).

Interest of H.B. (CONFIDENTIAL) (CONSOLIDATED W/20180440 & 20180441) 2019 ND 35
Docket No.: 20180439
Filing Date: 2/21/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Juvenile - Termination of Parental Rights
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: A juvenile court order terminating parental rights to H.B., V.B, and A.B. is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2).

State v. Brakke 2019 ND 34
Docket No.: 20180275
Filing Date: 2/21/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - DUI/DUS/APC
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: A criminal judgment for driving with a suspended license is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(3).

Smith v. State 2019 ND 33
Docket No.: 20180276
Filing Date: 2/21/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: A district court order denying application for post-conviction relief is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2).

Tollefson v. Anderson & Fercho, PLLP, et al. 2019 ND 32
Docket No.: 20180310
Filing Date: 1/31/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Other
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Appellant’s appeal of the district court’s order granting summary judgment is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(1), (4), (7).

This Court may award just damages and single or double costs, including reasonable attorney fees, if it determines an appeal is frivolous.

Wald v. Benedictine Living Communities, Inc. 2019 ND 31
Docket No.: 20180048
Filing Date: 1/25/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Employer/Employee Dispute
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: A post-verdict motion for judgment as a matter of law is a renewal of the pre-verdict motion and can be granted only on grounds advanced in the pre-verdict motion.

A jury verdict may not be based upon speculation of conjecture.

Friesner v. Friesner, et al. 2019 ND 30
Docket No.: 20180094
Filing Date: 1/22/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: A district court’s choice for primary residential responsibility between two fit parents is a difficult one, and the Supreme Court will not retry the case or substitute its judgment for that of the district court when its decision is supported by the evidence.

Permanent spousal support may be appropriate when there is a substantial income disparity between the spouses that cannot be remedied by property division or rehabilitative spousal support.

State v. Bearrunner 2019 ND 29
Docket No.: 20180258
Filing Date: 1/22/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Misdemeanor
Author: Jensen, Jon J.

Highlight: Whether a fence is so enclosed as manifestly to exclude intruders is a finding of fact.

Appellant’s conduct did not rise to the level of “tumultuous and violent” as required under N.D.C.C. § 12.1-25-01.

State v. Foster 2019 ND 28
Docket No.: 20180098
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: A witness may testify from personal knowledge about the witness’s own actions and observations even when they relate to acts technical in nature. If evidence is admitted in error, this Court will consider the entire record and decide in light of all the evidence whether the error was so prejudicial the defendant’s rights were affected and a different decision would have occurred absent the error.

Helbling v. Helbling 2019 ND 27
Docket No.: 20180095
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Divorce - Property
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: When a divorce settlement agreement is incorporated and merged into a judgment, only the final judgment is interpreted and enforced, not the underlying contract between the parties.

Western Energy Corporation v. Stauffer, et al. 2019 ND 26
Docket No.: 20180283
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Oil, Gas and Minerals
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: District court judgment finding reformation of 1959 warranty deed barred by the ten-year statute of limitation under N.D.C.C. § 28-01-15(2) is affirmed.

Swanson v. Swanson 2019 ND 25
Docket No.: 20180158
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Divorce - Property
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: District court division of marital property was not clearly erroneous.

While long-term marriages generally support an equal distribution of the marital property, a court does not err by considering how the property was acquired and acting to preserve the viability of a business operation like a family farm by awarding a majority of the marital property, and its corresponding debt, to one party.

Grina v. Job Service, et al. 2019 ND 24
Docket No.: 20180284
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Administrative - Unemployment/Job Service
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A Job Service decision is affirmed when a reasoning mind reasonably could have determined the agency’s factual conclusions were proved by the weight of evidence.

Interest of Jane Doe (CONFIDENTIAL) 2019 ND 23
Docket No.: 20180409
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Mental Health
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A district court’s finding that a person is mentally ill and in need of treatment will not be reversed unless it is clearly erroneous.

In determining whether an individual is a person requiring treatment a district court must consider whether the individual is mentally ill, and whether there is a reasonable expectation that, if the individual is not hospitalized, there exists a serious risk of harm to himself, others, or property.

State v. Pittenger 2019 ND 22
Docket No.: 20170279
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Sexual Offense
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: Closing a trial to the public without proper analysis is a structural error requiring automatic reversal.

State v. Lyon 2019 ND 21
Docket No.: 20180130
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Homicide
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A sentence in excess of a statutory provision or in some other way contrary to an applicable statute is an illegal sentence.

Avila v. Weaver, et al. 2019 ND 20
Docket No.: 20180111
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: Jensen, Jon J.

Highlight: If a post-trial motion does not require the amendment of the judgment, N.D.R.App.P. 4(a)(3) applies and the time for appeal begins upon service of the notice of the order disposing of the motion.

Where the order disposing of the motion necessitates the entry of an amended judgment, N.D.R.App.P. 4(a)(1) applies and the time for appeal begins upon the service of the notice of the entry of the amended judgment.

An initial judgment did not foreclose on an award of attorney fees under N.D.R.Civ.P. 54(e)(3).

This Court does not consider questions that were not presented to the district court and that are raised for the first time on appeal.

Desert Partners IV, L.P., et al. v. Benson, et al. 2019 ND 19
Docket No.: 20180112
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Oil, Gas and Minerals
Author: Jensen, Jon J.

Highlight: A district court’s decision on whether to grant a motion for a continuance will not be reversed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion.
Whether or not a party was a good-faith purchaser without notice of a competing interest is a mixed question of fact and law.
A good-faith purchaser is one who acquires rights without actual or constructive notice of another’s rights.

State v. Lott 2019 ND 18
Docket No.: 20180154
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Misdemeanor
Author: Jensen, Jon J.

Highlight: Criminal judgment of preventing arrest is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(3).

N.D.R.Crim.P. 32., mandates a defendant be given an opportunity to make a statement prior to sentencing.

An individual who has been denied the right of allocution has generally met the burden of showing their substantial rights were affected.

Hogen, et al. v. Hogen, et al. 2019 ND 17
Docket No.: 20180143
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Real Property
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: A transferor cannot convey an interest greater than the transferor has in the property, and a transferor who does not hold title to property cannot pass or transfer title to that property.

S.E.L. v. J.A.P., et al. (CONFIDENTIAL) 2019 ND 16
Docket No.: 20180075
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Paternity
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: Section 14-20-44(2), N.D.C.C., provides a statute of limitations barring proceedings to challenge an acknowledged father’s paternity and to adjudicate paternity brought more than two years after the effective date of the paternity acknowledgment.

Kieson v. Kieson 2019 ND 15
Docket No.: 20180157
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Divorce - Property
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: A marital property distribution in a divorce case is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2) and (7).

Cody v. Cody 2019 ND 14
Docket No.: 20180120
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Divorce - Property
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: The district court has broad discretion in deciding evidentiary matters, including whether to admit telephonic testimony.
Interlocutory orders generally are not appealable and may be revised or reconsidered any time before the final order or judgment is entered.
Claims for ineffective assistance of counsel have not been extended to civil actions for divorce.

Seccombe, et al. v. Rohde, et al. 2019 ND 13
Docket No.: 20180069
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Real Property
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: A county court acquired jurisdiction over property when executor of estate filed a petition to sell the property and the petition substantially complied with statutory requirements.
When the sale of property by an executor or administrator of an estate is required to be confirmed by the court under statute, the order confirming the sale cures all nonjurisdictional errors and irregularities occurring after the court obtains jurisdiction.

Interest of E.S. (CONFIDENTIAL) 2019 ND 12
Docket No.: 20180426
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Mental Health
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: A district court’s finding respondent is mentally ill and requires treatment will not be reversed unless it is clearly erroneous.

To show a respondent is a person requiring treatment, the petitioner must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the person is mentally ill and there is a reasonable risk that, if the person is not treated, he poses a serious risk of harm to himself, others, or property.

State v. Christensen 2019 ND 11
Docket No.: 20180156
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: Appellate review of a criminal sentence is generally confined to whether the district court acted within the sentencing limits prescribed by statute, or substantially relied upon an impermissible factor.

The presumptive probation statute requires a sentence of probation unless an exception applies.

Ourada v. State 2019 ND 10
Docket No.: 20180087
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Jensen, Jon J.

Highlight: In a post-conviction relief proceeding, an applicant is entitled to notice that his application may be summarily dismissed.

State v. Strom 2019 ND 9
Docket No.: 20180167
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: When ordering restitution for a victim of a criminal act, district courts must not consider the defendant’s ability to pay under N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-08(1). North Dakota Constitution article I, § 25(1)(n) requires “full” restitution be awarded to the victim for “all losses” sustained. This amendment to the constitution implicitly repealed the statutory requirement to consider ability to pay.

Interest of D.M.W. (CONFIDENTIAL) 2019 ND 8
Docket No.: 20180413
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Juvenile - Termination of Parental Rights
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: An appeal from a juvenile court order terminating parental rights is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2) and (7).

State, et al. v. McGath 2019 ND 7
Docket No.: 20180186
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: An appeal from a divorce judgment is summarily affirmed under Koenig v. Schuh, 2016 ND 252, 888 N.W.2d 385, and N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2), (4), and (7).

State v. Simundson 2019 ND 6
Docket No.: 20180223
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - DUI/DUS/APC
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Summary affirmance of jury conviction for actual physical control under N.D.C.C. § 39-08-01.

Lunde v. Paulson 2019 ND 5
Docket No.: 20180248
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Personal Injury
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Summarily affirm default judgment based on a lack of errors appearing on the face of the judgment roll.

Schwab v. State 2019 ND 4
Docket No.: 20180230
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: An appeal from a district court’s order denying an application for post-conviction relief is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(7).

If it is easier to dispose of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on the ground of lack of sufficient prejudice, that course should be followed.

Interest of P.T.D. (CONFIDENTIAL) (consolidated w/20180193-20180196) 2019 ND 3
Docket No.: 20180192
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Juvenile Law
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: An appeal from a juvenile court order finding five children to be deprived is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2).

DeLong v. Shields, et al. 2019 ND 2
Docket No.: 20180198
Filing Date: 1/15/2019
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: A district court’s award of unsupervised parenting time is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2).

Berg v. North Dakota State Board of Registration (cons.w/20170414 cont. in memo) 2018 ND 274
Docket No.: 20170413
Filing Date: 12/11/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Administrative Proceeding
Author: Jensen, Jon J.

Highlight: In reviewing an administrative agency’s findings of fact, the Supreme Court does not make independent findings of fact or substitute its judgment for that of the agency.
In an administrative proceeding, the administrative agency resolves conflicts of evidence and weighs the credibility of witnesses.

Bakke v. Magi-Touch Carpet One Floor & Home, Inc., et al. 2018 ND 273
Docket No.: 20180116
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: Jensen, Jon J.

Highlight: An employer of an independent contractor generally is not liable for the negligence of the independent contractor.

North Dakota law recognizes an implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose in construction contracts.

A contracting party cannot escape its liability on the contract by merely assigning its duties and rights under the contract to a third party.

The remedy for fraud is rescission of the contract and requires returning the parties back to their original positions.

Deceit is not an action dependent on a contract; it is a tort cause of action, and allows recovery of damages upon proof of an affirmative misrepresentation or suppression of material facts.

When a party requests leave to amend without requesting additional discovery and a summary judgment motion has been docketed, the proposed amendment must be both theoretically viable and solidly grounded in the record.

The measure of damages for breach of contract is the amount which will compensate the injured person for the loss which fulfillment of the contract would have prevented or the breach of the contract now requires.

City of Grand Forks v. Barendt 2018 ND 272
Docket No.: 20180227
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - DUI/DUS/APC
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: The implied consent advisory under N.D.C.C. 39-20-01(3) must be read after placing an individual under arrest and before administering a chemical test to determine alcohol concentration or the presence of other drugs.

Dale Exploration, LLC, et al. v. Hiepler, et al. 2018 ND 271
Docket No.: 20180065
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Real Property
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: The settlor of an irrevocable trust with the power to remove trust property must convey mineral interests that he sold in an individual capacity while the property was titled under the trust.

Lechner v. WSI, et al. 2018 ND 270
Docket No.: 20180203
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Administrative - Workers Compensation
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: A claim for workers’ compensation benefits must be filed within one year after the injury.
The date of injury for purposes of determining whether a claim for benefits is timely filed is the first date a reasonable lay person, not learned in medicine, knew or should have known that he suffered a compensable work-related injury and has either lost wages or received medical treatment.

State v. Vollrath 2018 ND 269
Docket No.: 20180161
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: Once a judgment is final, a district court generally no longer has jurisdiction to alter, amend, or modify that judgment.

Rustad v. Baumgartner 2018 ND 268
Docket No.: 20180080
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: A parenting plan is clearly erroneous when it denies a parent overnights or extended summer visitation without evidence of endangerment to the child’s physical or emotional health.

State ex rel. City of Marion v. Alber 2018 ND 267
Docket No.: 20180074
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Other
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: Under N.D.R.Civ.P. 60(b), a district court cannot amend an order to impose further affirmative relief. If an amendment grants no further relief but merely more clearly articulates the same substantive relief, it may be made under Rule 60(a) at any time.

State v. White 2018 ND 266
Docket No.: 20180020
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Drugs/Contraband
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: The warrantless search of supervised probationer’s home is reasonable under totality of the circumstances and does not violate Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

Adoption of A.S. (CONFIDENTIAL)(consolidated w/ 20180327) 2018 ND 265
Docket No.: 20180326
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Juvenile - Termination of Parental Rights
Author: McEvers, Lisa K. Fair

Highlight: A district court's findings of fact in a termination of parental rights proceeding will not be reversed on appeal unless they are clearly erroneous.

A finding on one of three alternative grounds authorizing termination of parental rights under N.D.C.C. 14-15-19(3) is sufficient to uphold a district court's order terminating parental rights on that ground.

Stein v. State 2018 ND 264
Docket No.: 20180128
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Jensen, Jon J.

Highlight: A district court may summarily dismiss an application for post-conviction relief if there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

Ineffective assistance of counsel issues are mixed questions of law and fact, which are fully reviewable on appeal.

When a claim made in an application for post-conviction relief is clearly and unambiguously contradicted by the record, summary disposition is appropriate.

When determining if summary disposition is appropriate on claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, the record and transcripts are generally not adequate if the petitioner alleges incidents outside of the record.

Dahms, et al. v. Nodak Mutual Insurance Co., et al. 2018 ND 263
Docket No.: 20180202
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Insurance
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: A detached garage connected to a dwelling by a deck constituted an “other structure” rather than a “dwelling” for purposes of determining insurance coverage.

Summary judgment is appropriate against a party who fails to establish the existence of a factual dispute as to an essential element of his claim and on which he will bear the burden of proof at trial.

State, et al. v. Martin 2018 ND 262
Docket No.: 20180141
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: District court did not err in denying a Rule 60(b) motion for relief from judgment where party was properly provided notice and served with the motion for default judgment.

Hunts Along v. N.D. Dep't of Transportation 2018 ND 261
Docket No.: 20180146
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Administrative - Department of Transportation
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: Department did not err in revoking defendant’s drivers license under N.D.C.C. § 39-20-14 following defendant’s refusal of on-site breath test.

A party who refuses a screening or chemical test cannot challenge the unperformed tests’ compliance with statutory requirements.

We cannot logically construe the statutes to require the State to provide foundational evidence for a test which was refuse, thus making the foundational evidence irrelevant.

Matter of Kulink 2018 ND 260
Docket No.: 20180083
Filing Date: 12/6/2018
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Civil Commitment of Sexually Dangerous Individual
Author: Tufte, Jerod E.

Highlight: A district court order denying discharge from civil commitment as a sexually dangerous individual is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2)

Page 41 of 248