Drew Wrigley wants to send a message to those who commit offenses against or in the face of law enforcement officers.

“There are too many people that turn to violence when confronted by law enforcement, and we can’t stand by anymore,” Wrigley, North Dakota’s attorney general, recently told Forum News Service. “There has to be an additional penalty. If there is not an additional penalty, they’ll do it every time. … We can’t let it go on anymore. It has to stop.”

And with that goal, he plans to reintroduce a proposal during the 2025 session of the Legislature that he hopes will set minimum sentences for crimes against officers — things like assault on an officer, resisting arrest and fleeing. Opponents contend Wrigley’s proposal will put more people through the court system and crowd jails, according to a Forum News Service report earlier this week. The cost could be in the millions of dollars.

We don’t care about the cost, the potential crowding or any of that. Wrigley’s proposal has merit.

He first pushed the idea during the Legislature’s 2023 session, but it died in surprising fashion. Despite an intent that we see as actually helping law officers do their job — and to protect them better — SB 2107 was derided by some.

Among the new proposal’s bullet points are minimum sentences of:

• 14 days in jail for resisting arrest
• 30 days for simple assault on an officer
• 30 days for fleeing an officer

And if a person commits another crime, the sentences for resisting, fleeing and assault would be served consecutively to that other crime, Forum News Service reported. At present, Wrigley said, sentences of crimes against officers run concurrently with a person’s other crimes. It means offenders of crime against officers often aren’t really punished for it. Thus, Wrigley believes, offenders consider it rational to resist, flee or assault an officer.

It’s been on Wrigley’s mind for some time now. In 2022, he told the Grand Forks Herald that a tightening of laws is needed to help cut down on things like police chases, which endanger not only police but others, too. At the time, he also was pushing for sentencing changes for concealed and discharge of weapons, but police chases and other crime against officers also were discussed.

He notably called police chases “a dramatic problem” and said the public has lost faith in the system’s ability and the will to protect them. Perhaps deep down, police officers might feel the same way, too. And in a time of a shortage of officers — many departments report difficulties filling open positions — doesn’t it make sense to do more to protect those who protect us?

Tougher sentences must be the way forward.

“Some people will say, this is going backward in time. But sentencing reform should be methodical and intelligent. It shouldn’t just be ‘people get out of jail earlier.’ That’s not sentencing reform,” Wrigley said.

Sure, some North Dakota jails are crowded, but that shouldn’t dissuade lawmakers from seeing the merit of Wrigley’s proposal. Mandatory, and tougher, sentences for certain crimes — especially those involving chases, assaults on officers and the like — seem like a common-sense fix to a rising problem.

Herald editorials are written under the byline “Herald editorial board,” since they sometimes include the thoughts, opinions or written input of multiple authors. Editorials generally reflect the opinion of a newspaper’s publisher.

BISMARCK — North Dakota Chief Justice Jon Jensen touted the effectiveness of the state’s court system while urging lawmakers to boost pay for judicial employees to retain top talent during his State of the Judiciary Address on Tuesday.

“The citizens of North Dakota desire the best judicial system available,” Jensen said. “Attracting and retaining dedicated individuals must be a priority.”

Senate Majority Leader Sen. David Hogue, R-Minot, said the Legislature approved 6% and 4% raises, and equity increases for judicial employees during the 2023 legislative session and said he was sure lawmakers would be providing more increases during this session.

Jensen said that a recent three-year study showed that North Dakota judges have the highest criminal caseload in the United States and are among the fastest courts in processing criminal cases.

The chief justice said that the judges, clerks, court administrators and juvenile court officers accomplished this feat despite facing challenges in the size of caseloads, subject matter and geography. The district courts handle roughly 180,000 cases per year and Jensen said that the judges are “judges of general jurisdiction,” meaning they are required to know every aspect of the law “from traffic violations to felonies.”

In regards to legislation, Jensen said that the judiciary would be supporting the creation of the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship to provide better accountability for the $17 million in public funds that is spent on guardianship services.

Hogue said he supported the idea of assigning the judiciary the “overall responsibility to manage” the guardianship and conservatorship processes but did not comment on the proposed Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Diane Larson, R-Bismarck, said that she had not yet seen any bill that would create a new office or appropriate funding for the proposed office, but that she was looking forward to hearing more about it once it was introduced to her committee.

The chief justice said the judiciary is expanding problem-solving courts to include a veterans court in Fargo and a mental health court in Bismarck, while making jury service simpler by shortening the time jurors are on call and making it possible for jurors to request a postponement or an excuse from jury service online.

In a post-address interview, the chief justice said that the judiciary was also working on initiatives to automate some of the processes done in the state Clerk of Courts Office.

“It’s easy to fall behind on the technology side,” Jensen told the Tribune. “But in order to really provide the service that we should be giving to North Dakota residents and also anticipating folks that are going to be working in the judicial system in the future, we need to provide them with technology tools that are going to allow them to keep up with the rest of society.”

Jensen finished his address by saying the integrity of courts in the United States was being challenged by the people and that confidence in the judicial system was being eroded.

Jensen said that criticism of the justice system is not new; it’s understandable and can be helpful when a court has erred.

“However, recently, challenges to judicial decisions and judicial officers have — and criticism of judicial officers have — gone beyond understandable criticism to include threats of violence, intimidation, and even statements by representatives of our federal executive branch indicating an intent to ignore lawfully entered judicial orders,” Jensen said.

He noted recent threats against judges and court staff in the state, though he didn’t provide specifics.

The chief justice acknowledged that the separation of powers and judicial review naturally gives rise to tension between government branches but said North Dakotans are fortunate to live in a state where the separation of powers is respected.

“In North Dakota, judges can faithfully discharge their duties in the most difficult of cases with the comfort of knowing that both the executive branch as well as the legislative branch of our state government will respect the decision regardless of the outcome,” Jensen said.

“Likewise, our judges understand the need for separation of powers and will faithfully limit ourselves to cases and controversies, leaving the executive and the legislative branches to carry out their reciprocal duties,” he said.

BISMARCK — Standing Rock Tribal Chairwoman Janet Alkire unveiled legislative priorities during her Tribal-State Relationship Message delivered to a joint session of the North Dakota Legislature in the House Chamber on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Alkire said that among her biggest priorities were a bill that would create an alert for missing and murdered Indigenous people in North Dakota — an issue she said was of “epidemic proportions” — and garnering funding for Senate Bill 2304, passed into law during the 2021 session. The law ensures greater understanding of Native American history and culture in the classroom.

Alkire said Rep. Jayme Davis, D-Rolette, plans to spearhead the missing and murdered Indigenous people bill.

Alkire during her address lauded lawmakers for passing

SB 2304

two sessions ago but in a follow-up interview said more funding was necessary to finish the work the bill started.

“There is no funding attached to it, so that would be helpful,” Alkire told The Bismarck Tribune. “I’m not talking tons of funding, but at least … let’s get it moving so that it is fair to everyone.”

Alkire also spoke on the need for collaboration between state and tribal law enforcement and commended the three tribes that have entered into mutual agreements with state entities such as the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation. She said those tribes are the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, the Spirit Lake Nation, and the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation.

She also said in her address that tribal nations want to work with legislators as education bills come during the session to “ensure the outcomes are in the best interest of all children.”

Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, said he wasn’t able to attend Alkire’s address but welcomed the idea of collaboration.

“Every member of the tribe is a North Dakota resident. So, they are entitled to all the consideration that everybody else is, and the fact that they are a sovereign nation as well does not mean that we as a sovereign state don’t extend them the same rights, benefits and privileges,” Hogue said. “So, wherever we can collaborate on education, we should do so.”

Alkire also said in her address that there is a need for a bridge over the Missouri River in the southern part of the state. She said there is a 121-nautical-mile stretch between the two current crossings in Bismarck and the South Dakota city of Mobridge.

She announced a $14.5 million planning grant was secured from the Department of Transportation to begin the process of creating a new bridge.

Alkire said the plan for a new crossing had been in the works for nearly 40 years before the recent grant was secured.