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4301 - 4350 of 12446 results

State v. Hammer 2010 ND 152
Docket No.: 20100025
Filing Date: 8/17/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: A bank customer does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in bank records, and the Fourth Amendment does not apply when the government obtains the customer's records from the bank by subpoena.
Before administrative proceedings are initiated, Workforce Safety & Insurance may obtain bank records as part of an investigation through an administrative subpoena duces tecum.
An administrative proceeding for the forfeiture of disability and medical benefits is civil in nature, and subsequent criminal prosecution for workers compensation fraud is not double jeopardy.

Huber v. Farmer's Union Service Ass'n, et al. 2010 ND 151
Docket No.: 20090388
Filing Date: 8/17/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: A provision of a contract must in and of itself be inherently illegal to be unlawful for purposes of N.D.C.C. 9-08-01.
The doctrines of frustration of purpose and impossibility of performance do not apply if either the frustration or the impossibility is caused by a party to the contract.
Prejudgment interest may be awarded where party fails to avail itself of procedures for depositing disputed funds with the court.

Richter v. N.D. Dep't of Transportation 2010 ND 150
Docket No.: 20100026
Filing Date: 8/17/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Administrative - Department of Transportation
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: A stop or seizure occurs under the Fourth Amendment when a law enforcement officer has in some way restrained the liberty of a citizen, and the mere approach and questioning of a person in a parked vehicle may not constitute a stop or seizure.
Criteria for evaluating whether a stop or seizure has occurred include the threatening presence of several law enforcement officers, a display of a weapon by an officer, some physical touching of the citizen, or the use of language or tone of voice indicating that compliance with the officer's request is compelled.
To the extent prior precedent holds a Fourth Amendment stop or seizure occurs whenever a law enforcement officer taps on a window of a parked motor vehicle, that precedent is overruled.
Specifications of error in an administrative appeal must identify what matters are truly at issue with sufficient specificity to fairly apprise the agency, other parties, and the court of the particular errors claimed.

S.H.B. v. T.A.H. (CONFIDENTIAL) 2010 ND 149
Docket No.: 20090267
Filing Date: 8/17/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Juvenile - Termination of Parental Rights
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: To establish abandonment under N.D.C.C. 27-20-02(1)(a), a petitioner seeking termination of a parent's parental rights must show that the parent intended to abandon the child.
If a party fails to properly raise an issue or argument in the trial court, the party is precluded from raising that issue or argument on appeal.

Pembina Co. Water Resource Brd. v. Cavalier Co. Water Resource Brd. 2010 ND 148
Docket No.: 20100037
Filing Date: 8/17/2010
Case Type: Original Proceeding - Civil - Writ of Mandamus
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: A petitioner for a writ of mandamus must demonstrate that there is no other plain, speedy, and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law.

Interest of R.S. (CONFIDENTIAL) 2010 ND 147
Docket No.: 20100036
Filing Date: 8/17/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Juvenile Law
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: Under N.D.C.C. 27-20-02(8)(a), "deprived child" means "a child who . . . [i]s without proper parental care or control, subsistence, education as required by law, or other care or control necessary for the child's physical, mental, or emotional health, or morals, and the deprivation is not due primarily to the lack of financial means of the child's parents, guardian, or other custodian."

Petition to Change Judgeship No. 4 Chambers from New Rockford to Carrington 2010 ND 145
Docket No.: 20100169
Filing Date: 8/3/2010
Case Type: Judicial Administration - Rule - Rule
Author: Per Curiam

Petition to Change Judgeship No. 4 Chambers from New Rockford to Lisbon 2010 ND 145
Docket No.: 20100174
Filing Date: 8/3/2010
Case Type: Judicial Administration - Rule - Rule
Author: Per Curiam

Judicial Vacancy in Judgeship No. 4, SEJD (see 20100169 and 20100174) 2010 ND 145
Docket No.: 20100130
Filing Date: 8/3/2010
Case Type: Judicial Administration - Rule - Rule
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Judgeship retained at New Rockford.

State v. Blunt (cross-reference w/20070247) 2010 ND 144
Docket No.: 20090110
Filing Date: 7/16/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: In determining what constitutes an acquittal, the label used by the district court is not conclusive and the reviewing court will consider the substance of the district court's ruling to determine whether it actually represents a resolution of some or all of the factual elements of the offense charged.
The district court may withdraw from the jury's consideration particular factual issues or legal theories not supported by the evidence and submit the remaining factual issues and legal theories to the jury.
The State may elect to charge each misapplication of entrusted property as a separate offense, or the State may charge all misapplication of entrusted property as a single offense.

Woodward v. Woodward (Cross-Ref w/20080343 & 20090053) 2010 ND 143
Docket No.: 20090316
Filing Date: 7/15/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: A district court judge shall disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned, and the test for appearance of impartiality is one of reasonableness and recusal is not required in response to spurious or vague charges of impartiality.
Persistent and willful denial or interference with parenting time is grounds for modification of primary residential responsibility.

Reciprocal Discipline of Kenny 2010 ND 142
Docket No.: 20100194
Filing Date: 7/19/2010
Case Type: Discipline - Attorney - Original Proceeding
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Lawyer reprimanded under Rule 4.4, N.D.R. Lawyer Discipl., governing reciprocal discipline.

Thornton v. Klose 2010 ND 141
Docket No.: 20090320
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: A temporary child support order amending a prior divorce judgment and setting the parties' child support obligations for a period of one year is appealable.
When a divorce judgment explicitly orders a child custody schedule which results in an unequal division of custodial time between the parents, it does not order "equal physical custody" and the child support offset provision does not apply.
Judgment provisions allowing the parties to mutually agree to a different custodial schedule or declaring the parties are considered to have equal physical custody for purposes of calculating child support do not trump an ordered custody schedule or convert the unequal division of custody into "equal physical custody."

Melchior v. Lystad, et al. 2010 ND 140
Docket No.: 20100045
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Real Property
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: Summary judgment is appropriate if either litigant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law and if no dispute exists as to either the material facts or the inferences to be drawn from undisputed facts, or if resolving factual disputes will not alter the result.
Where a grantor conveys land in such a manner as to include all of the minerals, and then reserves to himself fifty percent of the minerals, the reservation is not operative when the grantor owns only fifty percent of the minerals. Both the grant and the reservation cannot be given effect, so the grantor loses because the risk of title loss is on the grantor.
For a mutual mistake to justify reformation of a contract, it must be shown that at the time of the execution of the agreement, both parties intended to say something different from what was said in the instrument.

State v. Meador 2010 ND 139
Docket No.: 20100063
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Sexual Offense
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: The retroactive application of the sexual offender registration statute is remedial and non-punitive and does not violate federal or state constitutional prohibitions against ex post facto laws.
A party waives an issue if the party does not provide supporting argument, and an argument is without merit if the party does not provide supportive reasoning or citations to relevant authorities.

Investors Title Insurance Co. v. Herzig, et al. (Consol. w/20090052) 2010 ND 138
Docket No.: 20090051
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Contracts
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: If a party dies and the claim is not thereby extinguished, the court may order substitution of the proper parties.
At common law, a cause of action to enforce a penalty does not survive the death of either party unless the penalty is contractual. Causes that are remedial or contractual survive.
A remedial sanction includes a sanction that is conditioned upon performance or nonperformance of an act required by court order. A sanction requiring payment of money is remedial if imposed to compensate a party or complainant, other than the court, for loss or injury suffered as a result of the contempt.

State v. Poitra 2010 ND 137
Docket No.: 20090339
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Sexual Offense
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A defendant claiming statements in an affidavit for a search warrant are false or misleading because important information was omitted must show: (1) law enforcement omitted facts with the intent or in reckless disregard of whether they made the affidavit misleading, and (2) the affidavit would not have been sufficient to support a finding of probable cause if the omitted information had been included.
A juvenile does not have a statutory right to have an attorney present when a search warrant is executed.
A person cannot take advantage of his own wrong.

Schirado v. Foote, et al. 2010 ND 136
Docket No.: 20090282
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A nonparent seeking to qualify as a person acting as a parent under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act must claim a right to legal custody under the laws of North Dakota. At a minimum, this requires claiming right to legal custody prior to or simultaneous with commencement of the pending litigation.

Interest of M.W. (CONFIDENTIAL) 2010 ND 135
Docket No.: 20100047
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Juvenile Law
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: When a child attains the age of twenty years, all juvenile court orders affecting the child then in force terminate and the child is discharged from further obligation or control.
When a child attains the age of twenty years, the juvenile court is without jurisdiction to issue an order transferring charges to the district court.

State v. Lehman 2010 ND 134
Docket No.: 20100002
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: To grant a judgment of acquittal, a court must find there is insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction.
The parties must object to an instruction, or failure to give an instruction, on the record.
The standard of review for reconciling a jury verdict is whether the verdict is legally inconsistent.

Halvorson, et al. v. Starr, et al. 2010 ND 133
Docket No.: 20100068
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Oil, Gas and Minerals
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: The computation of time for statutory notice of lapse of mineral interest is governed by N.D.C.C. 1-02-15, not the North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure.

State v. Irwin 2010 ND 132
Docket No.: 20100082
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - DUI/DUS/APC
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: A defendant does not suffer a manifest injustice when pleading guilty to a fifth DUI in seven years, although at the time of arrest he has not yet been convicted of his fourth DUI in seven years.

Interest of C.H. (Confidential) 2010 ND 131
Docket No.: 20100162
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Mental Health
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: In determining whether an individual is a "person requiring treatment," a district court must consider (1) whether the individual is "mentally ill," and (2) 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.

Boeckel v. Boeckel 2010 ND 130
Docket No.: 20090302
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: Where evidence of domestic violence exists, the district court must make specific and detailed findings regarding the application of the presumption against awarding custody to the perpetrator of domestic violence.

State v. Everett 2010 ND 129
Docket No.: 20090386
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Sexual Offense
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Revocation of probation is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(4) and (7).

State v. Colby 2010 ND 128
Docket No.: 20100057
Filing Date: 7/13/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - DUI/DUS/APC
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Criminal judgment summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(7).

Disciplinary Board v. Kuhn 2010 ND 127
Docket No.: 20100060
Filing Date: 7/7/2010
Case Type: Discipline - Attorney - Original Proceeding
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Lawyer suspended from the practice of law for ninety days and ordered to pay the costs and expenses of the proceeding for violating N.D.R. Prof. Conduct 1.14, Client With Limited Capacity.
Drafting a will for a client who has been declared incapacitated without obtaining permission or authorization from the client's court-appointed guardian is a violation of N.D.R. Prof. Conduct 1.14.

Workforce Safety & Insurance v. Auck 2010 ND 126
Docket No.: 20090223
Filing Date: 7/2/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Administrative - Workers Compensation
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: In an administrative agency case, the factual findings from a final decision by an independent administrative law judge are reviewed under the same standard of review used for agency decisions. The legal conclusions from a final decision by an independent administrative law judge are not entitled to similar deference and are reviewed in the same manner as legal conclusions generally.
Where a reasoning mind reasonably could have determined the weight of the evidence from the record supported the finding that a heart attack resulting in death was caused by unusual stress resulting from an employee's employment with reasonable medical certainty and that the unusual stress was at least fifty percent of the cause of the heart attack as compared with all other contributing causes combined, the reviewing court will affirm.

Lenton v. Lenton 2010 ND 125
Docket No.: 20090294
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Other
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: When a finding of domestic violence is based solely on fear of physical harm, the fear must be of imminent physical harm.
A finding of domestic violence may be based on actual harm, or the infliction of fear of imminent harm, or both, but may not be based solely on the infliction of fear of actual harm that may occur at some indefinite time in the future.

American Bank Center v. Schuh, et al. 2010 ND 124
Docket No.: 20090367
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Foreclosure
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A party seeking relief from a default judgment under N.D.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(i) must make some showing of why he was justified in failing to avoid mistake or inadvertence.

State v. Bernsdorf 2010 ND 123
Docket No.: 20100017
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - DUI/DUS/APC
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: The State cannot appeal a judgment of acquittal.

Aurora Medical Park v. Kidney & Hypertension Center 2010 ND 122
Docket No.: 20090331
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Other
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: In an eviction action the right to the possession of the real estate is the only fact that can be rightfully litigated unless damages or rent is claimed.
It is for the legislature to weigh conflicting public policy arguments and to enact accordingly.

State v. Wanner 2010 ND 121
Docket No.: 20090280
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: The purpose of sequestration is to prevent one witness's testimony from influencing another.
If the objecting party clearly shows by offer of proof or other appropriate means, a witness's testimony would be influenced by prior testimony the witness heard in violation of a sequestration order, it would be an abuse of discretion for the court to allow the witness to testify.

State v. Mohl 2010 ND 120
Docket No.: 20100009
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - DUI/DUS/APC
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: An officer observing a vehicle touch the fog line approximately sixteen times and the center line approximately eight times in three miles has reasonable suspicion to stop the vehicle.

Brummund v. Brummund (Cross Ref w/ 20080170) 2010 ND 119
Docket No.: 20090219
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Divorce - Property
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: Under the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, prospective spouses may contract with respect to their rights in the property of either or both of them whenever and wherever acquired, and may specify the disposition of property upon divorce.

Burris Carpet Plus, Inc. v. Burris, et al. 2010 ND 118
Docket No.: 20090104
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Other
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: To prevail on a trademark infringement claim, a plaintiff must first show it has a valid mark that merits protection.
A valid trademark is a distinctive mark, symbol, or designation used by a producer or manufacturer to identify and distinguish its services or goods from the services or goods of others.
Ownership rights in a trademark accrue when the mark is used or displayed in the marketplace.
The use of a corporate name in connection with goods or services is not "use" of each word in the name for trademark purposes.
A name that a business entity uses that is not required to be registered as a trade name may still be registered to receive the protections of the trade name statutes.
State and federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction over claims arising under the Lanham Act.
When there is no express constitutional or statutory declaration upon a subject, the common law is applied.

State v. Emil (Consolidated w/20090287) 2010 ND 117
Docket No.: 20090286
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: The State may appeal from an order suppressing evidence only "when accompanied by a statement of the prosecuting attorney asserting that the appeal is not taken for purpose of delay and that the evidence is a substantial proof of a fact material in the proceeding."
To meet the statutory requirements, the prosecutor's statement must explain the relevance of the suppressed evidence, or the relevance must be clear from the record.

Holbach v. Holbach, et al. 2010 ND 116
Docket No.: 20090319
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Real Property
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: When a settlement agreement is wholly incorporated into a divorce judgment, the settlement is merged into the judgment and ceases to be independently viable.
Contracts to devise property are enforceable and become irrevocable upon the death of one of the parties.
An agreement to agree is enforceable if the essential terms of the agreement are reasonably certain and definite.
Contractual terms are reasonably certain and definite if they provide a basis for determining the existence of a breach and for giving an appropriate remedy.

State v. Gunderson 2010 ND 115
Docket No.: 20100050
Filing Date: 6/30/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Assault
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Order requiring restitution is summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(4).

Ellis v. North Dakota State University 2010 ND 114
Docket No.: 20090313
Filing Date: 6/17/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Employer/Employee Dispute
Author: VandeWalle, Gerald

Highlight: When this Court has decided a legal question and remanded the case for further proceedings, the question will not be decided differently on a subsequent appeal in the same case where the facts remain the same.

Hanneman v. Nygaard 2010 ND 113
Docket No.: 20090278
Filing Date: 6/17/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Other
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: An involuntary dismissal of a plaintiff's action, which does not otherwise specify, operates as an adjudication on the merits.
Res judicata prevents relitigation of claims that were raised, or could have been raised, in prior actions between the same parties or their privies, but does not preclude litigation of additional new claims.
A district court must make findings of fact that are sufficient to enable an appellate court to understand the factual determinations made by the district court and the basis for the conclusions of law, and a district court's findings of fact should be stated with sufficient specificity to assist the appellate court's review and to afford a clear understanding of the district court's decision.

City of Mandan v. Gerhardt 2010 ND 112
Docket No.: 20090274
Filing Date: 6/15/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - DUI/DUS/APC
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: Permissible types of law enforcement-citizen encounters include: (1) arrests, which must be supported by probable cause; (2) "Terry" stops, seizures which must be supported by a reasonable and articulable suspicion of criminal activity; and (3) community caretaking encounters, which do not constitute Fourth Amendment seizures.
Community caretaking allows law enforcement-citizen contact, including stops, without an officer's reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct.
Even a casual encounter can evolve into a seizure when a reasonable person would view a law enforcement officer's actions--if done by another private citizen--as threatening or offensive.
An officer may also develop a reasonable and articulable suspicion of unlawful conduct from the officer's initial community caretaking encounter.

State v. McKay (Consolidated w/20090296 - 20090298 & 20090342) 2010 ND 111
Docket No.: 20090295
Filing Date: 6/14/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Drugs/Contraband
Author: Per Curiam

Highlight: Judgment of conviction for aggravated assault and order revoking probation are summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(3).

Martinson v. Martinson 2010 ND 110
Docket No.: 20090324
Filing Date: 6/10/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: In deciding a request for attorney fees and costs under N.D.C.C. 14-05-23, a court must balance one party's needs against the other party's ability to pay and consider whether either party's actions unreasonably increased the time and expenditures on the case.

State v. Bauer 2010 ND 109
Docket No.: 20090212
Filing Date: 6/10/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Assault
Author: Maring, Mary

Highlight: The nonexistence of self-defense instruction given by the trial court correctly provides that the burden of proof is on the State to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was not acting in self-defense.
The pattern jury instructions are not controlling law, and are published with the caution that they are neither a restatement nor an encyclopedia of the prevailing law.

State v. Dahl (consolidated w/20090262) 2010 ND 108
Docket No.: 20090261
Filing Date: 6/10/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Misc. Felony
Author: Crothers, Daniel John

Highlight: A criminal defendant is incompetent to stand trial when he lacks sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding or when he lacks a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him. The essence of being able to consult with a lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding is the ability to coherently confer with counsel and provide necessary and relevant information to formulate a defense.
When evaluating a defendant's competence to stand trial, the most recently completed psychological evaluation is not automatically given more weight than older evaluations. Absent other factors, the contents of a report are controlling.
Whether district court's failure on its own to hold a competency hearing constitutes obvious error requires analyzing four nonexclusive factors: 1) defendant's irrational behavior, 2) defendant's demeanor before the trial court, 3) any prior medical opinions on competence to stand trial and 4) trial counsel's questioning of defendant's competency before the trial court.

Eberle v. Eberle 2010 ND 107
Docket No.: 20090332
Filing Date: 6/10/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Child Support
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: A fee for transcript preparation for appellate review is properly taxed by the clerk as a necessary disbursement for the prevailing party on appeal.
A district court's decision on parenting time is a finding of fact reviewed under the clearly erroneous standard of review.

State v. Clark (Consolidated w/20090234-20090238) 2010 ND 106
Docket No.: 20090233
Filing Date: 6/10/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Theft
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: When no plea is taken and judgment is pronounced on the theory that a guilty plea has been entered, the judgment is a nullity and thus void.
When a defendant's knowledge that he was waiving his rights and voluntarily and knowingly pleading guilty is clearly reflected from the whole record, he is not denied the constitutional right to due process.

State v. Pixler (Consolidated w/20090311) 2010 ND 105
Docket No.: 20090310
Filing Date: 6/10/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Criminal - Drugs/Contraband
Author: Sandstrom, Dale

Highlight: The age, education, and mental capacity of the defendant, his background and experience, and his conduct at the time of the alleged waiver are probative factors bearing on whether an accused has validly waived counsel and pled guilty.
Some degree of mental disorder does not necessarily mean a defendant is incompetent or incapable of knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily entering a guilty plea.

Estate of Eggl 2010 ND 104
Docket No.: 20100048
Filing Date: 6/10/2010
Case Type: Appeal - Civil - Probate, Wills, Trusts
Author: Kapsner, Carol

Highlight: In an unsupervised probate, a district court order settling all of a claimant's claims is appealable without a N.D.R.Civ.P. 54(b) certification.
A court's primary objective in construing a will is to ascertain the testator's intent.
Whether a will is ambiguous is a question of law.
A will is ambiguous if, after giving effect to each word and phrase, its language is susceptible to more than one reasonable interpretation.
In a "per capita" distribution, the members of the designated class receive equal shares.

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