Opinions

State v. Schrum 2006 ND 18
Docket No.: 20050267
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A criminal defendant's sentence must be credited for time served in custody on that charge.

Korynta v. Korynta 2006 ND 17
Docket No.: 20050201
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: When calculating child support, a trial court must not base its child support award on an extrapolation of an obligor's future income, unless evidence of the obligor's recent past circumstances are not a reliable indicator of his future circumstances.

Hewson v. Hewson 2006 ND 16
Docket No.: 20050218
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: A trial court does not have continuing jurisdiction to modify a property distribution in a divorce judgment, but has continuing jurisdiction to modify child support.
Agreements between parents as to the support and maintenance of a child shall only be accepted by a trial court if they are in the child's best interest.
An agreement between parents purporting to prohibit or limit the power of a court to modify future child support violates public policy and is invalid.
As a matter of equity, a divorcing parent attempting to satisfy her child support obligation by foregoing a rightful share of the marital property is entitled to offset the amount of marital property given up against her child support obligation so long as it does not supercede the child's right to support.
When the equitable-offset remedy calculation results in a credit in favor of the obligor, the obligor receives only a credit against her future child support obligations and is not entitled to reimbursement for that credit.

Edward H. Schwartz Const. Inc. v. Driessen 2006 ND 15
Docket No.: 20050150
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: The existence of an oral contract and the extent of its terms are questions of fact that are reviewed under the clearly erroneous standard of review.
A trial court's choice between two permissible views of the weight of the evidence is not clearly erroneous, and simply because an appellate court may have viewed the evidence differently does not entitle it to reverse the trial court.

State v. Smith 2006 ND 14
Docket No.: 20050264
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Misdemeanor
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: When an incorrect notice of appeal is filed leading to an issue not being appealed and the case proceeds through appeal, oral argument, and a written opinion, the issue will not be considered on a second appeal when the party made no attempt have the issue reviewed by correcting the notice of appeal or filing a petition for rehearing after the first appeal.

Disciplinary Board v. Giese 2006 ND 13
Docket No.: 20050158
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Discipline - Attorney - Original Proceeding
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: During a suspension, suspended attorneys may not hold themselves out as being authorized to practice law in this state.
Rule 6.3, N.D.R. Lawyer Discipl., requires full compliance with the rules for lawyer discipline, including timely notice to clients about a suspended attorney's status.

Kuperus v. Willson, et al. 2006 ND 12
Docket No.: 20050114
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Torts (Negligence, Liab., Nuis.)
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: A written settlement agreement is interpreted under rules for construing written contracts.
A settlement agreement will not be set aside absent a showing of fraud, duress, undue influence, or other grounds for rescinding a contract.

Livinggood v. Balsdon 2006 ND 11
Docket No.: 20050149
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Real Property
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: Damages for breach of a farm lease beyond one year are not speculative and uncertain as a matter of law but may be speculative and uncertain as a matter of fact.
The party seeking specific performance has the burden of proving the party is entitled to it and the standard for proving entitlement to specific performance is higher than the standard for proving entitlement to money damages.
Damages must be proved.

State v. Bertram (Consolidated w/20050036 and 20050037) 2006 ND 10
Docket No.: 20050035
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Misdemeanor
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: Generally, legal advice is not a defense to a criminal prosecution, but may be used to negate the requisite state of mind in some circumstances.
The "same elements" test applies to double jeopardy claims under both the state and the federal constitutions and requires consideration of whether each offense contains an element not contained in the other offense.
Proof of a defendant's knowledge of a disorderly conduct restraining order satisfies the culpability requirement for violation of a disorderly conduct restraining order.
A criminal information must contain a written statement of the essential elements of the offense, which includes the nonexistence of a defense as to which there is evidence sufficient to give rise to a reasonable doubt on an issue.

Bates v. State 2006 ND 9
Docket No.: 20050321
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Denial of application for post-conviction relief is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2).