Opinions

Disciplinary Board v. Howe 2001 ND 86
Docket No.: 20000341
Filing Date: 5/3/2001
Case Type: Discipline - Attorney - Original Proceeding
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: An attorney is appropriately suspended from the practice of law for 120 days when the hearing panel has found clear and convincing evidence of professional conduct violations involving lack of diligence, communication, and expediting litigation, as well as a disciplinary history of five prior disciplinary sanctions.
Prior discipline is not remote, but is relevant as an aggravating factor when the prior incidents establish a pattern of misconduct.
Disciplinary counsel may reasonably bill attorney fees at $75 per hour, which may be assessed against the attorney whose misconduct warranted the imposition of discipline.

Davis v. State 2001 ND 85
Docket No.: 20000335
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Post-Conviction Relief
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: A trial court is authorized to resentence a defendant who violates conditions of probation to any sentence that was initially available. Resentencing a defendant to a harsher sentence than his original sentence imposed does not violate double jeopardy or due process.

State v. Ellis (Cross-reference w/20000006) 2001 ND 84
Docket No.: 20000092
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: A defendant seeking a change of venue under N.D.R.Crim.P. 21 has the burden of establishing a reasonable likelihood of prejudice so pervasive that a fair and impartial jury cannot be selected in the county of original venue.
Except under N.D.C.C. 12.1-17-02(4), which involves firing a firearm or hurling a destructive device at another human being, aggravated assault is not a lesser included offense of attempted murder.
In sentencing a defendant, a trial court may consider a conviction that was pending appeal during the sentencing hearing.

Interest of C.R.C. (CONFIDENTIAL) 2001 ND 83
Docket No.: 20000286
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Juvenile - Termination of Parental Rights
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: Termination of parental rights is appropriate when the State proves by clear and convincing evidence that a child is deprived and the deprivation is not due primarily to a lack of financial resources; the causes and conditions of the deprivation will likely continue or will not be remedied; and the child is suffering, or will probably suffer, serious physical, mental, moral, or emotional harm from the deprivation.

State v. Paulson, et al. 2001 ND 82
Docket No.: 20000302
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Original Proceeding - Civil - Writ of Supervision
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: The failure of the parents of an injured person "incapacitated by the injury from giving the notice" to present the director of the office of management and budget a notice of claim within 180 days of discovery of the injury does not preclude the injured person from suing the State.

ND Fair Housing Council, Inc., et al. v. Peterson, et al. (CON w/20000197) 2001 ND 81
Docket No.: 20000130
Filing Date: 5/1/2001
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Constitutional Law
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: Attorney General's opinions interpreting statutes do not bind the Court but will be followed if persuasive. Attorney General's opinions are afforded even greater consideration when they have been impliedly adopted by the legislature.
Refusing to rent to an unmarried couple because they are seeking to cohabit is not unlawful under the discriminatory housing practices provision of the North Dakota Human Rights Act.

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).