Opinions

Praus, et al. v. Mack, et al. 2001 ND 80
Docket No.: 20000106
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Torts (Negligence, Liab., Nuis.)
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: A trial court may grant parties on a side of litigation additional peremptory challenges if they have essentially adverse or antagonistic interests.
An expert witness may not be permitted to express an opinion if the facts disclosed by the evidence are such that it may be assumed the jury is capable of understanding them and arriving at its own conclusion.
A trial court's failure to instruct the jury about the violation of a safety regulation is not prejudicial error, if the complaining party had the opportunity to argue the theory to the jury and the instructions given allowed for a finding of negligence if the jury believed the complaining party's evidence.
Jury instructions on legal principles which illustrate how negligence law is applied in a specific situation are not indispensable if the parties are allowed to argue their theory of the case and the instructions given adequately inform the jury of the law.
One or more jurors in a civil case making an improper unauthorized visit to the scene of the accident is not prejudicial in the absence of a showing it influenced the verdict.

Young v. Johnson 2001 ND 79
Docket No.: 20000336
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Torts (Negligence, Liab., Nuis.)
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Appeal from district court order granting summary judgment is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(6) and (7).

Yantzer v. Yantzer 2001 ND 77
Docket No.: 20000324
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Trial court's order denying a motion for change of custody is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2).

State v. McHugh 2001 ND 76
Docket No.: 20000354
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Sexual Offense
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Conviction for gross sexual imposition based on a jury verdict is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(3),(4).

Halvorson v. Halvorson 2001 ND 75
Docket No.: 20000290
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Judgment denying a motion for reconsideration of a child support order is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(4).

Minar v. Minar 2001 ND 74
Docket No.: 20000179
Filing Date: 4/17/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: A court errs as a matter of law when it fails to comply with the requirements of the child support guidelines in determining an obligor's child support obligation.
Under the child support guidelines, an obligor's ability to pay child support is not determined solely upon actual income, but also takes into account the obligor's earning capacity.
The child support guidelines must be applied using common sense and in consideration of the circumstances.
A court may delay payment of a portion of child support when the obligor's income is temporarily reduced.
Every child support order entered in this state must address health insurance coverage for the child.

Dahlberg v. Lutheran Social Services, et al. 2001 ND 73
Docket No.: 20000152
Filing Date: 4/17/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Employer/Employee Dispute
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: An employer is not contractually bound to follow a progressive discipline policy where an employee handbook and the progressive discipline policy, construed as a whole, preserved the employment at-will presumption.
A plaintiff claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress must show extreme and outrageous conduct that exceeds all possible bounds of decency.
A prima facie case for retaliatory discharge requires an employee to show the employee has engaged in protected activity, the employer took adverse action against the employee, and the existence of a causal connection between the employee's protected activity and the employer's adverse action.
To be protected activity, an employee's report of a violation or suspected violation of law must be made for the purpose of exposing an illegality, and the reporter's purpose must be assessed at the time the report is made.

Wright v. ND Workers Comp. Bureau 2001 ND 72
Docket No.: 20000292
Filing Date: 4/17/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Administrative - Workers Compensation
Author: Neumann, William

Highlight: Under the Administrative Agencies Practice Act, N.D.C.C. ch. 28-32, information or evidence that has not been offered, admitted, and made a part of the official record of the proceeding generally is not considered by the administrative agency. N.D.C.C. 28-32-06(2).
An injured employee who has undergone vocational rehabilitation is responsible for making a good faith work search.
To be eligible for partial disability benefits, an injured employee must provide evidence of a loss of earning capacity.

Interest of D.N., D.N., C.N., Children (CONFIDENTIAL)(Consol. w/20000235) 2001 ND 71
Docket No.: 20000234
Filing Date: 4/12/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Juvenile - Termination of Parental Rights
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: When there has been an extensive period in which efforts have been made to overcome inabilities to effectively parent, the courts cannot allow the children to remain in an indeterminative status midway between foster care and the obvious need for permanent placement.

Dowhan v. Brockman, et al. 2001 ND 70
Docket No.: 20000249
Filing Date: 4/12/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: The question of who is a prevailing party for an award of disbursements is a question of law, subject to de novo review, while the question of the amounts to be allowed for disbursements is one of fact, subject to an abuse-of-discretion standard of review.
A prevailing party for an award of disbursements is one who prevails on the merits of the main issue.