Chief Justice John J. Jensen outlines heavy caseloads, court reforms and funding needs in State of the Judiciary address

Chief Justice John J. Jensen of the North Dakota Supreme Court told the 69th Legislative Assembly in the House chamber that the state’s courts face unusually heavy caseloads and need statutory and budgetary changes to maintain timely access to justice.

Jensen said the state’s judicial structure includes municipal courts, district courts and the state supreme court and described workload pressures on each level. “In North Dakota, we have municipal courts, district courts, and the state supreme court,” he said.

The nut graf: Jensen argued that caseload, geographic coverage and a broad scope of subject matter require legislative attention to judicial staffing, compensation and statutory updates so courts can deliver timely decisions to defendants, victims and civil litigants.

Jensen detailed workload and structure. He said there are 87 municipal courts in North Dakota; municipal courts have limited jurisdiction (including certain misdemeanors and traffic violations), no jury trials, and municipal judges serve four-year terms. He said cities with populations above 5,000 must have a…