North Dakota Case Commentaries

Pederson v. State (2026 ND 1): Summary Disposition Error When Ineffective-Assistance Claims Are Dismissed Without a State Motion and Without an Evidentiary Hearing

Date: Jan 17, 2026

Pederson v. State (2026 ND 1): Summary Disposition Error When Ineffective-Assistance Claims Are Dismissed Without a State Motion and Without an Evidentiary Hearing I. Introduction In Pederson v....

Mandate-Rule Remands and RUPA Default Winding Up: No Implied Override, No In-Kind Inventory Distribution

Date: Jan 17, 2026

Mandate-Rule Remands and RUPA Default Winding Up: No Implied Override, No In-Kind Inventory Distribution Case: Ziemann v. Grosz, 2026 ND 6 Court: Supreme Court of North Dakota Date: 2026-01-15 I....

State v. Krall (2026 ND 7): North Dakota Rejects “Exclude Every Reasonable Hypothesis of Innocence” Circumstantial-Evidence Jury Instructions

Date: Jan 17, 2026

State v. Krall (2026 ND 7): North Dakota Rejects “Exclude Every Reasonable Hypothesis of Innocence” Circumstantial-Evidence Jury Instructions Introduction In State v. Krall, the Supreme Court of...

Weigel v. Albertson (2026 ND 4): Attorney-Disqualification Orders Are Not Immediately Appealable; Supervisory Review and Rule 1.7(a) Conflicts When Counsel Also Represents the Entity

Date: Jan 17, 2026

Attorney-Disqualification Orders Are Not Immediately Appealable; Supervisory Review and Rule 1.7(a) Conflicts When Counsel Also Represents the Entity Case: Weigel v. Albertson, 2026 ND 4 (N.D. Jan....

Rule 11(a)(2) Enforcement: Conditional Plea Requires a Court Order and a Judgment that Expressly States “Conditional”

Date: Jan 3, 2026

Rule 11(a)(2) Enforcement: Conditional Plea Requires a Court Order and a Judgment that Expressly States “Conditional” 1. Introduction In State v. Medina, 2025 ND 234, the North Dakota Supreme Court...

Modification of Nonparent Visitation Must Proceed Under N.D.C.C. § 14-09.4-14 (Even When the Parent Moves to Modify a Foreign Order)

Date: Jan 3, 2026

Modification of Nonparent Visitation Must Proceed Under N.D.C.C. § 14-09.4-14 (Even When the Parent Moves to Modify a Foreign Order) I. Introduction Wardner v. Porath, 2025 ND 228, addresses which...

Parenting-Time Modification After In-State Relocation: Work-Availability Findings, Shively Distinguished, and “Immaterial Misstatements” Under Clearly-Erroneous Review

Date: Jan 3, 2026

Parenting-Time Modification After In-State Relocation: Work-Availability Findings, Shively Distinguished, and “Immaterial Misstatements” Under Clearly-Erroneous Review I. Introduction In Markestad v....

Post-Judgment Criminal Appealability Under N.D.C.C. § 29-28-06(5) Turns on the Nature of the Claim, Not Its Merits

Date: Jan 3, 2026

Post-Judgment Criminal Appealability Under N.D.C.C. § 29-28-06(5) Turns on the Nature of the Claim, Not Its Merits Case: City of Williston v. Bauer, 2025 ND 231 Court: Supreme Court of North Dakota...

Partition Accounting in North Dakota: Trust-Exclusive Expenses Cannot Be Charged to a Cotenants’ Share; Rule 60(a) May Correct a Decree to Conform to an Adopted Referee Recommendation

Date: Jan 2, 2026

Partition Accounting in North Dakota: Trust-Exclusive Expenses Cannot Be Charged to a Cotenants’ Share; Rule 60(a) May Correct a Decree to Conform to an Adopted Referee Recommendation 1. Introduction...

Requiring Detailed “Active Efforts” Findings in ICWA Termination Cases: Commentary on In the Interest of J.C., 2025 ND 217 (N.D. 2025)

Date: Dec 20, 2025

Requiring Detailed “Active Efforts” Findings in ICWA Termination Cases: Commentary on In the Interest of J.C., 2025 ND 217 (N.D. 2025) I. Introduction The North Dakota Supreme Court’s decision in In...

State v. Jaeger: Clarifying Rule 36 Clerical Corrections of Jail Credit and the Absence of a Right to Counsel in Non‑Critical Sentencing Modifications

Date: Dec 20, 2025

State v. Jaeger: Clarifying Rule 36 Clerical Corrections of Jail Credit and the Absence of a Right to Counsel in Non‑Critical Sentencing Modifications Introduction In State v. Jaeger, 2025 ND 222,...

Estate of Lepp: Finality, Timeliness, and Rule 54(b) in Unsupervised Probate Appeals

Date: Dec 20, 2025

Estate of Lepp: Finality, Timeliness, and Rule 54(b) in Unsupervised Probate Appeals I. Introduction The North Dakota Supreme Court’s decision in Estate of Lepp, 2025 ND 216, is a jurisdictional...

Express Authority and Agent‑Amended Trusts under N.D.C.C. § 59‑14‑02(5): Commentary on Matter of William C. Hansen and Verna Hansen Trust, 2025 ND 220

Date: Dec 20, 2025

Express Authority and Agent‑Amended Trusts under N.D.C.C. § 59‑14‑02(5): Commentary on Matter of William C. Hansen and Verna Hansen Trust, 2025 ND 220 I. Introduction Matter of William C. Hansen and...

State v. Hoff (2025 ND 215): Functional Waiver of Counsel and the Necessity of Timely Faretta-Type Warnings

Date: Dec 20, 2025

State v. Hoff (2025 ND 215): Functional Waiver of Counsel and the Necessity of Timely Faretta-Type Warnings I. Introduction In State v. Hoff, 2025 ND 215 (N.D. Dec. 18, 2025), the North Dakota...

Kolstad v. Claussen: Explicit Findings Required on Developmental-Needs and Domestic-Violence Best-Interest Factors in North Dakota Custody Cases

Date: Dec 20, 2025

Kolstad v. Claussen: Explicit Findings Required on Developmental-Needs and Domestic-Violence Best-Interest Factors in North Dakota Custody Cases I. Introduction In Kolstad v. Claussen, 2025 ND 213,...

Limiting Water Resource District Cost Assessments to Landowners: Commentary on Fairville Township v. Wells County Water Resource District, 2025 ND 209

Date: Dec 20, 2025

Limiting Water Resource District Cost Assessments to Landowners: Commentary on Fairville Township v. Wells County Water Resource District, 2025 ND 209 I. Introduction The North Dakota Supreme Court’s...

Abandonment, Incarceration, and Step-Parent Adoption: The Constitutional Application of N.D.C.C. § 14-15-01(1) in Adoption of G.M.H.

Date: Dec 20, 2025

Abandonment, Incarceration, and Step-Parent Adoption: The Constitutional Application of N.D.C.C. § 14-15-01(1) in Adoption of G.M.H. I. Introduction The North Dakota Supreme Court’s decision in...

MidFirst Bank v. Young: Mortgagors’ Lack of Standing to Challenge Mortgage Assignments and Limits on Restricting Access to Court Audio Recordings

Date: Dec 6, 2025

MidFirst Bank v. Young: Mortgagors’ Lack of Standing to Challenge Mortgage Assignments and Limits on Restricting Access to Court Audio Recordings I. Introduction The North Dakota Supreme Court’s...

State v. Bell and the Unified Application of N.D.C.C. §§ 39‑20‑01 and 39‑20‑01.1 in Serious-Injury and Fatal DUI Crash Investigations

Date: Dec 6, 2025

State v. Bell and the Unified Application of N.D.C.C. §§ 39‑20‑01 and 39‑20‑01.1 in Serious-Injury and Fatal DUI Crash Investigations I. Introduction State v. Bell, 2025 ND 201, is a significant...

State v. Martinez and the Discretionary Substitution of Jurors under N.D.R.Crim.P. 24(c)(1)

Date: Dec 6, 2025

State v. Martinez and the Discretionary Substitution of Jurors under N.D.R.Crim.P. 24(c)(1) Introduction In State v. Martinez, 2025 ND 204, the North Dakota Supreme Court addressed an increasingly...