Opinions

Stein v. Workforce Safety and Ins., et al. 2006 ND 34
Docket No.: 20050196
Filing Date: 2/6/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Administrative - Workers Compensation
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: A court cannot ignore the clear language of a statute under the guise of liberal construction.
A recalculation of average weekly wage under N.D.C.C. § 65-05-09(1) is authorized only if the employee is able to return to employment for twelve consecutive months or more before the recurrence of the disability that is the subject of the recalculation.

MBNA v. Hart 2006 ND 33
Docket No.: 20050179
Filing Date: 2/3/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Debtor/Creditor
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A court must confirm an arbitration award upon application of any party to the award unless a party has filed a motion with the court to vacate, modify, or correct the award within 90 days after delivery of a copy of the award, or within 90 days after grounds are known or should have been known to the injured party if the motion to vacate is based on corruption, fraud, or other undue means.

Davis v. Killu, et al. 2006 ND 32
Docket No.: 20040301
Filing Date: 2/2/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Malpractice
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: An expert's testimony may not be used merely as a conduit to place otherwise inadmissible evidence before a jury.
Parties are required to create a record that will permit informed appellate review.
Nonprejudical mistakes by the trial court constitute harmless error and are not grounds for reversal.
A failure to object acts as a waiver of the claim of error.

Bertsch v. Bertsch 2006 ND 31
Docket No.: 20050183
Filing Date: 2/2/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: In deciding whether to award attorney fees under N.D.C.C. § 14-05-23, the trial court must balance one party's needs against the other party's ability to pay.
In awarding attorney fees, fault is only relevant to the extent one party has unreasonably escalated the fees.

Interest of D.D., et al. (CONFIDENTIAL)(Consolidated w/ 20050177) 2006 ND 30
Docket No.: 20050176
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Juvenile Law
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: Findings of fact in juvenile proceedings will not be set aside on appeal unless clearly erroneous.
Although incarceration, by itself, does not establish abandonment of a child for purposes of terminating parental rights, a probability of harm to the child may be established by prognostic evidence that a parent's current inability to care for the child will continue long enough to render improbable the successful assimilation of the child into a family if the parent's rights are not terminated.

Simon v. Simon (Consolidated w/20050356) 2006 ND 29
Docket No.: 20050279
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: The offset provisions of the split custody and equal custody regulations of the child support guidelines continue to apply to the parents' child support obligations when one parent assigns the right to receive child support to the State as reimbursement for TANF benefits received.

Schwan v. Folden 2006 ND 28
Docket No.: 20050185
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: If a plaintiff does not move for default judgment after the default has occurred or within a reasonable time after the default, and the answer is subsequently filed, the plaintiff waives its right to default judgment for a defendant's failure to appear.
The strong preference of the courts is to decide cases on their merits rather than by default judgment.
A party who proceeds to trial rather than pursuing a default judgment waives its right to default judgment.
Only items in the record may be included in the appendix, and the Supreme Court may take appropriate action against any person failing comply with this rule.

Lentz v. Spryncznatyk 2006 ND 27
Docket No.: 20050234
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Administrative - Department of Transportation
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: A statute is employed retroactively when it is applied to a cause of action that arose prior to the effective date of the statute.
A statute is not retroactively applied merely because prior convictions are used that occurred before the effective date of a statute, as long as the triggering offense occurred after the effective date of the statute.

Dunn v. State 2006 ND 26
Docket No.: 20050336
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A motion for summary dismissal under the Uniform Post-Conviction Relief Act is akin to a motion for summary judgment.
Thirty days' response time is allowed following motions for summary dismissal under the Uniform Post-Conviction Relief Act.
Summary dismissal is appropriate if the petitioner in a post-conviction relief action fails to raise a genuine issue of material fact.

State v. Nikle 2006 ND 25
Docket No.: 20050172
Filing Date: 1/31/2006
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Drugs/Contraband
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: Great weight is given to a potential juror's claim that he or she will maintain impartiality.
No legal rule is violated if a jury panel is not rejected after one venireperson makes a comment which, though arguably inappropriate, does not affect the fairness or impartiality of any member of the venire.
Assistance of counsel is effective if, despite counsel's "errors," the results of the proceedings would remain unchanged.