North Dakota Judicial Branch

From dKosopedia

Category: North Dakota

North Dakota Judicial Branch.

The North Dakota judicial system consists of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Courts, and Municipal Courts.

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of North Dakota. It is composed of five justices elected in a non-partisan election for ten-year terms. Each justice must be a licensed attorney and a citizen of the United States and North Dakota. The Supreme Court Chief Justice is selected every 5 years by vote of the District and Supreme Court Judges. The Supreme Court is an appellate court hearing appeals from district courts and the Court of Appeals.

The Court of Appeals hears only the cases assigned to it by the Supreme Court. It is composed of three judges chosen from among active and retired district court judges, retired justices of the Supreme Court, and attorneys.

The district courts are the courts of general jurisdiction in North Dakota. They have original and general jurisdiction in all cases, including criminal felony and misdemeanor cases, and general jurisdiction for civil cases. The district courts also serve as the juvenile courts in the state and have exclusive and original jurisdiction over any minor who is alleged to be unruly, delinquent, or deprived.

The state is divided into seven judicial districts. In each judicial district a presiding judge supervises court services of all courts in the district. There is a district court in each of the state's fifty-three counties. All of the judicial districts are served by a court administrator or administrative assistant who works with governmental agencies, budget, facilities, records management, personnel, and contract administration.

Municipal courts in North Dakota have jurisdiction of all violations of municipal ordinances, with some exceptions. All municipal judges in North Dakota are part-time and are elected by the people for four-year terms. [1]

External Links

• North Dakota Supreme Court