Criminal Justice (Courts)

signed · North Dakota · House Mar 25, 2025

HB 1336: AN ACT to amend and reenact section 12.1-31.2-02, subsection 1 of section 12.1-32-02, and subdivision h of subsection 5 of section 39-08-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to orders prohibiting contact and use of orders prohibiting contact as an alternative to sentencing.

HB 1336 modifies North Dakota law to require courts to issue orders prohibiting contact between defendants and victims in cases involving crimes of violence, stalking, harassment, or sex offenses when defendants are released before trial. These orders must be provided to victims, entered into state and federal crime databases within one business day, and can be modified or terminated by court order upon request. Violating such an order is a class A misdemeanor, and law enforcement must arrest individuals without a warrant if probable cause exists. The bill directly affects victims in these specific criminal cases and defendants released pre-trial, with key changes focusing on mandatory contact orders and electronic database reporting.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires courts to issue victim contact bans in violent/stalking/sex cases with database entry and enforcement, strengthening victim protection protocols.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence Sentencing

signed · North Dakota · House Apr 25, 2025

HB 1032: AN ACT to create and enact a new subsection to section 27-05-06 and chapter 40-18.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to jurisdiction of district courts and municipal court requirements, jurisdiction, procedures, and processes; to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 29-07-01.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to indigent defense; and to repeal sections 40-11-10, 40-11-11, 40-11-12, and 40-11-13 and chapter 40-18 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to ordinance violations and municipal judges.

Relating to jurisdiction of district courts and municipal court requirements, jurisdiction, procedures, and processes; to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 29‑07‑01.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to indigent defense; and to repeal sections 40‑11‑10, 40‑11‑11, 40‑11‑12, and 40‑11‑13 and chapter 40‑18 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to ordinance violations and municipal judges.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAmends indigent defense provisions (sec. 29-07-01.1), directly supporting fair representation in criminal cases per criminal justice reform indicators.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

signed · North Dakota · House Mar 19, 2025

HB 1030: AN ACT to amend and reenact subdivision i of subsection 1 of section 12.1-32-02, sections 15.1-19-13 and 19-03.1-23, subsection 6 of section 19-03.4-03, subsection 17 of section 27-20.2-01, subsection 26 of section 27-20.4-01, subdivision c of subsection 4 of section 27-20.4-17, subsection 4 of section 27-20.4-26, subsection 5 of section 29-26-22, section 39-06-36.1, subsection 9 of section 39-06.1-11, subdivision f of subsection 5 of section 39-08-01, and sections 39-08-01.5 and 54-12-27.1 of the North Dakota Century Code relating to changing drug court to treatment court.

HB 1030 renames "drug court" programs to "treatment court" across multiple North Dakota statutes, focusing on rehabilitation rather than punitive measures. It directly affects courts, judges, and individuals participating in these specialized programs by updating terminology in legal codes. The bill does not create new programs or funding but adjusts existing court procedures to align with the treatment-focused approach. The legislation was signed into law by the Governor on March 14, 2025, and is now effective.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill renames drug court to treatment court, emphasizing rehabilitation over punishment in criminal justice reform, aligning with reducing recidivism and improving treatment programs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill renames drug courts to treatment courts, prioritizing rehabilitation (mental health treatment) over punishment. This aligns with healthcare-focused approaches in justice system programming.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

failed · North Dakota · House Feb 12, 2025

HB 1310: A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact section 12.1-32-02, subsections 2 and 4 of section 12.1-32-07, sections 12.1-32-08, 29-07-01.1, and 29-26-22, subdivision h of subsection 5 of section 39-08-01, subsection 1 of section 54-12-14, subsection 16 of section 54-23.3-04, and subsection 2 of section 62.1-05-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the costs of a defendant's prosecution, the cost of a presentence investigation and report, reimbursement of indigent defense costs and expenses, the fee for the indigent defense services application, the court administration fee, and the community service supervision fee; to repeal sections 12.1-32-02.2, 27-01-10, 27-05.2-08, 27-05.2-09, and 27-05.2-10 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to repayment of rewards paid by crimestoppers programs, the fee for crime victim and witness programs, and the court facilities improvement and maintenance fund; and to provide for application.

Relating to the costs of a defendant's prosecution, the cost of a presentence investigation and report, reimbursement of indigent defense costs and expenses, the fee for the indigent defense services application, the court administration fee, and the community service supervision fee; to repeal sections 12.1‑32‑02.2, 27‑01‑10, 27‑05.2‑08, 27‑05.2‑09, and 27‑05.2‑10 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to repayment of rewards paid by crimestoppers programs, the fee for crime victim and witness programs, and the court facilities improvement and maintenance fund; and to provide for application.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes reimbursement for indigent defense costs, ensuring fair access to legal representation - a core criminal justice reform principle. Repeal of unrelated sections is incidental.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Victims' Rights

Track

passed · North Dakota · Senate Mar 28, 2025

SB 2096: A BILL for an Act to provide an appropriation to the department of health and human services for regional acute psychiatric treatment and residential supportive housing services.

SB 2096 provides $5 million for renovating state hospital buildings to serve individuals with mental illness under correctional custody, involuntary commitment, or court-ordered forensic exams. It also appropriates $100 million to establish four regional acute psychiatric treatment and residential supportive housing services across North Dakota. The funds will allow the Department of Health and Human Services to build up to 24-bed facilities in each region or contract with private providers for these services. The bill directly affects individuals requiring acute psychiatric care and supportive housing, with funding allocated for the 2025-2027 biennium.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $105M for mental health services via state budget appropriations, advancing public health funding without tax changes.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds psychiatric treatment for individuals in correctional custody, advancing rehabilitation and reducing recidivism per criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $105M for mental health infrastructure including psychiatric treatment facilities and housing, directly expanding healthcare access for vulnerable populations.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingFunds $100M for residential supportive housing services, directly advancing housing programs for vulnerable populations through facility construction and private provider contracts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Hospitals Mental Health Homelessness

Track

failed · North Dakota · House Feb 24, 2025

HCR 3021: A concurrent resolution to amend and reenact sections 3 and 13 of article VI of the Constitution of North Dakota, relating to the judicial branch and supreme court.

HCR 3021 is a proposed constitutional amendment to North Dakota's judicial system. It would remove civil and criminal immunity for judges, void judgments violating due process, state/federal law, or the U.S. or North Dakota constitutions, and require judicial vacancies (supreme court or district court) to be filled by a bipartisan committee's nominees rather than solely by the governor. This directly affects all state judges and the court system by changing how judges are appointed and held accountable. The amendment must be approved by voters in the 2026 primary election, as it failed to pass the legislature (13 yeas, 80 nays) in February 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves judicial immunity, voids unlawful judgments, mandates bipartisan appointments, enhancing court accountability and due process protections in criminal justice.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

Track

signed · North Dakota · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 2067: AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 2 of section 12.1-32-06.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the commencement date of supervised probation if an alternative to incarceration is court ordered.

This bill amends North Dakota Century Code Section 12.1-32-06.1 to clarify that supervised probation begins only after a court's alternative sentencing order becomes final, not immediately upon sentencing. It directly affects individuals sentenced to probation instead of incarceration, ensuring probation supervision starts once the court order is confirmed. The key change delays the probation start date until the court's order is officially effective, resolving ambiguity in the prior law. This is a technical procedural adjustment to sentencing timing, not a substantive policy shift.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeClarifies probation start date only after court order finality, preventing premature supervision and protecting defendants' rights per criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts Probation & Parole

signed · North Dakota · House Mar 24, 2025

HB 1328: AN ACT to amend and reenact section 27-20.4-05.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to delinquency referrals to juvenile court.

HB 1328 amends North Dakota law to change how schools and law enforcement refer students for minor offenses to juvenile court. It requires schools to first try disciplinary measures (like counseling or suspensions) before referring students for non-serious offenses on school property, unless the offense involves drugs, violence, sex crimes, or weapons. The bill also updates the definition of "custodian" to include school staff with legal responsibility for a child. These changes directly affect school officials, law enforcement, and students in North Dakota schools.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires schools to use disciplinary measures before juvenile court referrals for minor offenses, reducing unnecessary system involvement per criminal justice reform principles.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Juvenile Justice

signed · North Dakota · House Mar 31, 2025

HB 1347: AN ACT to create and enact a new section to chapter 27-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to district court supervised treatment programs approved by the supreme court.

HB 1347 creates a new legal framework for district court supervised treatment programs in North Dakota, directly affecting offenders sentenced to supervised probation. The bill assigns specific roles: the Department of Corrections supervises probation compliance, the Department of Health oversees treatment services using established best practices, and district courts coordinate judicial oversight for specialized dockets. This law formalizes existing practices by defining each agency's responsibilities within court-approved treatment programs. It takes effect upon the Governor's signature, which occurred on March 26, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFormalizes treatment programs with best practices, assigning clear roles to improve rehabilitation and reduce recidivism through coordinated oversight.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts Probation & Parole

signed · North Dakota · House Apr 14, 2025

HB 1364: AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 3 of section 39-08-01.5 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the partial suspension of sentence for drug court program, mental health court program, or veterans treatment docket completion.

HB 1364 amends North Dakota's legal code to adjust how courts handle partial sentence suspension for individuals who successfully complete specialized court programs. The bill modifies a specific section of the Century Code to allow courts to partially suspend a defendant's sentence upon completion of drug court, mental health court, or veterans treatment dockets. This means participants in these programs may avoid serving the full sentence, potentially reducing prison time or enabling community-based alternatives. The change directly affects defendants in these programs who meet completion requirements, without altering program eligibility or structure.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllows partial sentence suspension upon completion of drug/mental health/veterans treatment programs, promoting rehabilitation over incarceration per bill's intent.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enables sentence suspension upon completing mental health court, supporting access to mental health treatment programs through judicial system integration.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly includes veterans treatment dockets in sentence suspension provisions, creating specialized pathways for veterans to avoid full incarceration through treatment programs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts