Susan Bailey, '97, sworn in as ECJ District's Newest Judge

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

2-2-2015

Campus Unit

School of Law

Abstract

Cass County’s newest judge was seated Friday during an investiture ceremony at the county courthouse.

District Court Judge Susan Bailey was sworn in by Gerald VandeWalle, chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.

“It’s a culmination of a career in the law and it’s something that I’ve dreamed about and I’m very thankful and happy for the opportunity that the voters in Cass, Steele and Trail counties have given me,” Bailey said.

Bailey, a West Fargo resident, will serve as one of the judges in the East Central Judicial District and will be based in Fargo.

State Supreme Court Justice Lisa Fair McEvers, Bailey’s former University of North Dakota classmate and friend, said Bailey is very precise and fair.

“Laws or rules are the structure around which judges operate,” Bailey said. “But if being a good judge was simply following rules, we could program a computer to do it, so there must be more to it.”

The ceremony was attended by several federal, state, county and municipal judges, and the entire North Dakota Supreme Court. Bailey’s family was also in attendance.

Bailey won the judgeship in November when she beat Assistant Cass County State’s Attorney Tristan Van de Streek for a six-year term.

Bailey most recently served as an administrative law judge and a municipal judge in West Fargo, Horace, Tower City, Kindred and Davenport, N.D.

She graduated from the University of North Dakota with degrees in math, counseling and law.

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