December 29, 2016

Increased Penalties for OSHA Violations Could be Scary for Businesses

For the first time in 25 years, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) increased monetary penalties for standards violations under the provisions of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act. In November 2015, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation requiring federal agencies to adjust their civil penalties for inflation, and […]

December 27, 2016

Medical Marijuana Law in North Dakota

North Dakota recently joined many other states in approving marijuana for medical use. The ballot measure passed with 64% of the statewide vote, indicating a majority of North Dakotans favor the use of marijuana to treat certain medical conditions. The statute only allows for medical use, and does not allow […]

December 21, 2016

Felons Still Denied Voting Rights in Minnesota

Despite a push to change state law, Minnesotans who were on probation, parole, or serving time in prison due to a felony conviction weren’t able to vote in this year’s general election. Unlike in North Dakota, where the law gives voting rights to people on felony probation and parole but […]

December 19, 2016

Business Liability for Data Breaches

Recent news is often dominated with the latest and largest corporate data breach, and even the 2016 U.S. election was not immune to hacking. According to Symantec’s 2016 Internet Security Threat Report, small businesses having 1-250 employees were the victims of 43 percent of all data breach attacks carried out […]

December 15, 2016

Supreme Court Finds that Warrantless Blood Tests Violate U.S. Constitution

All 50 states have enacted “implied consent laws,” which essentially mean that by driving on the state’s roads, drivers are deemed to have consented to testing if they are suspected of drunk driving. Twelve states, including North Dakota and Minnesota, impose criminal penalties on suspected drunk drivers who refuse to […]

December 13, 2016

Limited Campus Police Jurisdiction: What it Means

For many years the North Dakota State University Campus Police and the Fargo Police Department operated under a Memorandum of Understanding, which essentially granted NDSU Police to patrol and make arrests anywhere within the City of Fargo. Several universities and municipalities, including UND and the Grand Forks Police Department, used […]

December 5, 2016

Roadways Dangerous During Holiday Season

There are certain days each year when it’s probably best to stay off the road. Statistics show that the top 10 worst days for driving include Christmas Day, New Years Day, and NFL game day. Here’s the complete list: Memorial Day weekend. Many consider Memorial Day the beginning of the […]

December 2, 2016

Child Custody Tips: How to Gracefully Share the Kids During Holidays

The upcoming Holiday season should be all about giving thanks, but it is often difficult for divorced families to get in the holiday spirit, particularly when it means sharing their children. For those who celebrate Christmas, divorced and separated couples need to remember to help their kids focus on being […]

December 2016