Senate Bill 2045 Summary

• Extends the expiration date of North Dakota's temporary court of appeals from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2034.

• Allows the supreme court to assign active or retired district court judges, retired supreme court justices, and lawyers to serve on three-judge panels of the temporary court of appeals when the supreme court has disposed of 250 cases in the preceding 12 months.

• Retired judges and lawyers serving on temporary court panels receive compensation equal to five percent of a supreme court justice's gross monthly salary per day of service, while active district court judges receive only expense reimbursement.

• Temporary court panels exercise appellate and original jurisdiction as delegated by the supreme court, with all appeals treated as a unified process under supreme court jurisdiction requiring only one filing fee.

• The supreme court retains discretion to reassign cases from temporary court panels and grant or deny petitions for review of panel decisions.