--- title: "Mark A. Friese | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mark-a-friese-nd-supreme-court" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Mark A. Friese North Dakota Supreme Court · Justice ## Profile - Court: North Dakota Supreme Court - State: North Dakota - Role: Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-10-02 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - American judge and Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court, appointed in March 2026 by Governor Kelly Armstrong to succeed Daniel J. Crothers - Governor Kelly Armstrong appointed Friese on February 18, 2026, effective March 9, 2026, succeeding Justice Daniel J. Crothers, who retired in February 2026 after 20 years on the court. - North Dakota Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents (chair) He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (2023) - Served 24 years in the North Dakota Army National Guard, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2011, and held a position as a Bismarck police officer before law school. - 2000–2001: Law clerk to the North Dakota Supreme Court - His academic qualifications include a Bismarck State College criminal-justice associate degree in 1990, a University of Mary social-behavioral-sciences degree in 1995, and a University of North Dakota law degree with distinction in 2000 - 1990: AA in Criminal Justice from Bismarck State College - The only justice with a specialty in criminal defense ### Education - JD — Distinction from the University of North Dakota School of Law — 2000 ### Additional information - Governor Kelly Armstrong appointed him to the Supreme Court in February 2026 to succeed Daniel J. Crothers. - He received the federal district’s CJA Distinguished Panel Attorney Award in 2026. - He clerked for the state Supreme Court in 2000–2001 and practiced criminal defense at Vogel Law Firm from 2001 to 2026. - Mark A. Friese grew up in Bismarck and graduated from Century High School in 1988. - He also completed multiple U.S. Army professional military education courses, including the Command and General Staff College ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### remote hearing and evidence Scope: statewide North Dakota Administrative Rule 52 permits reliable electronic-means proceedings in district and municipal courts on the court's or a party's motion; a party seeking the proceeding must give notice and obtain court approval. Evidence excerpt: Parties seeking to hold an electronic means proceeding must provide notice to the other parties and obtain approval from the court. [North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 52: Reliable Electronic Means Proceedings](https://www.ndcourts.gov/news/north-dakota/north-dakota-supreme-court/general-news/remote-proceedings-by-electronic-means-a-useful-tool) Source checked: 2026-07-27 ### remote hearing and evidence Scope: statewide North Dakota's official Rule 52 guidance states that in civil actions a court may conduct a hearing, conference, other proceeding, or take testimony by reliable electronic means. Evidence excerpt: In a civil action, the court may conduct a hearing, conference, or other proceeding, or take testimony, by reliable electronic means. [North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 52: Reliable Electronic Means Proceedings](https://www.ndcourts.gov/news/north-dakota/north-dakota-supreme-court/general-news/remote-proceedings-by-electronic-means-a-useful-tool) Source checked: 2026-07-27 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.ndcourts.gov/supreme-court/justices) - [Official roster](https://www.ndcourts.gov/supreme-court/justices) - [North Dakota Court System official judicial roster](https://www.ndcourts.gov/supreme-court/justices) - [North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 52: Reliable Electronic Means Proceedings](https://www.ndcourts.gov/news/north-dakota/north-dakota-supreme-court/general-news/remote-proceedings-by-electronic-means-a-useful-tool) - [North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 52: Reliable Electronic Means Proceedings](https://www.ndcourts.gov/news/north-dakota/north-dakota-supreme-court/general-news/remote-proceedings-by-electronic-means-a-useful-tool) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mark-a-friese-nd-supreme-court", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mark-a-friese-nd-supreme-court", "name": "Mark A. 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