Portrait of ND Supreme Court Justice Daniel Crothers
Original reporting by Mary Steurer of the North Dakota Monitor
Justice Daniel Crothers concluded a 20-year career on the North Dakota Supreme Court this week, issuing a final plea to his colleagues to “Guard the court’s independence–guard that fiercely”. He told the Monitor that judges are supposed to uphold the law, not further any particular political agenda. If courts refrain from upholding this independence, he said people’s rights will be subject to the whim of lawmakers and the executive branch.
Crothers retires today, and was honored at a reception Thursday afternoon at the State Capitol. At the reception, Justice Lisa Fair McEvers said that “he is the first person I turn to for advice on ethics.” Crothers said that one of the most significant cases he worked on was ND Legislative Assembly v. Burgum in 2017, in which the court ruled against Doug Burgum’s line-item vetos, reinforcing that the governor can’t withdraw a veto once issued. He said the image of all three branches of government in the courtroom is still “burned into [his] memory” as a display of constitutional balance.
Though Crothers did not offer a specific reason for his retirement, he did tell the Monitor he’s looking forward to having more time for family and hobbies. Governor Armstrong has sought out Fargo attorney Mark Friese as his replacement, set be sworn in on March 9.
Mark Friese
Crothers notably pushed back against President Trump’s recent disparagement of the U.S. Supreme Court, calling the remarks “unfortunate” and “not helpful” to maintaining public trust in the legal system.
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