On Thursday, November 21, 2024, the North Dakota Supreme Court admonished Paul Hagen, a municipal judge from McClusky, for violating the North Dakota Code of Judicial Conduct. The disciplinary action arose from Hagen’s failure to complete the required continuing education credits during a specified reporting period.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Judge Paul Hagen,” with case number 20240282.
The case was initiated by the Judicial Conduct Commission, which outlined the proceedings against Hagen. On July 16, 2024, Hagen entered into a consent agreement with disciplinary counsel acknowledging his misconduct. This agreement included Hagen’s affidavit, where he admitted to not obtaining the necessary 18 hours of continuing education credits from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023.
Hagen’s lack of compliance with the continuing education requirements violated several regulations, including N.D. Code Jud. Conduct 1.1, N.D. Sup. Admin. R. 36, and N.D.C.C. § 40-18-22. Additionally, he was found to have not prioritized his judicial education over personal and extrajudicial activities, which contravened N.D. Code Jud. Conduct Rules 2.1.
Hagen committed to completing the remaining 5.75 continuing education credits before a scheduled hearing on July 17, 2024. The Hearing Panel had referred the matter to the Supreme Court after the date when Hagen was expected to fulfill this requirement. There has been no indication that he failed to complete the credits by the deadline.
The Supreme Court reviewed the evidence and recommendations provided by the Hearing Panel and ultimately adopted their findings. The court issued an admonition to Hagen, highlighting the importance of adherence to judicial conduct standards and continuing education requirements for judges.
This admonition serves as a formal reprimand, reinforcing the necessity for judges to maintain their professional education and conduct in accordance with established judicial standards.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
