Julie Lawyer
ND · Burleigh County State's Attorney
Burleigh County State's Attorney and a prosecutor since 1999, with earlier work in the Stutsman County prosecutor's office and the North Dakota Attorney General's Office. In her first campaign she named rising violent crime and growing caseloads as the office's main concerns.
Where Julie Lawyer stands, based on their records
Supports
Anti-Corruption (5 records), Public Safety and Crime Control (2 records)
Track record
Track record — Anti-Corruption
Anti-Corruption · 5 support
Asked the governor to remove County Auditor Mark Splonskowski, citing misconduct, neglect of duty and incompetence. On July 7, 2025, Governor Kelly Armstrong declined, saying voters should hold him accountable.
July 7, 2025Supports Anti-Corruption
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Told the Burleigh County Commission that the county auditor broke county policy, and in her view the federal Hatch Act, by texting a voter not to support a commission candidate.
December 2, 2024Supports Anti-Corruption
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Gave the Burleigh County Commission a legal opinion that one person could not serve as both county auditor and Bismarck city commissioner. She also denied the auditor's claim that she had called the roles compatible.
February 23, 2023Supports Anti-Corruption
Source: kfyrtv.com
Advised Burleigh County commissioners that state law required them to keep county-business emails and letters for three years. The commission then stopped using private email for county business.
April 3, 2019Supports Anti-Corruption
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Argued the state's case, as an assistant attorney general, at a two-day hearing on removing Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy from office. The removal petition cited gross incompetence, crimes in office, and misconduct.
July 25, 2012Supports Anti-Corruption
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 2 support
Filed state felony charges against Dawson Rouse over Snapchat meetings with girls as young as 13, after his 30-year federal sentence. She had dropped the earlier state case when he was federally indicted.
June 23, 2022Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Testified for House Bill 1133 before the North Dakota House Judiciary Committee as an assistant attorney general. The bill targeted synthetic drugs built to be chemically similar to banned drugs.
January 21, 2013Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Track record — General
General · 12 records
Appealed to a federal appeals court after a judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit against her office over the state's political-ad false-statement law. Her office told the court it had stopped enforcing that law.
May 28, 2026
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Found no charges were warranted against a Bismarck officer who fatally shot Melanie Udell after she struck another officer with her SUV.
April 21, 2025
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Declined to charge former Bismarck Event Center Director Charlie Jeske over a trip paid for by a ticketing vendor that later won a city contract. She found no violation of criminal law.
May 7, 2024
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Found no criminal charges were warranted against three Bismarck officers who fatally shot 17-year-old Nick Bruington. She said he had shot at another person two hours earlier.
March 5, 2024
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Cleared four officers who shot at a fleeing suspect after an April 2023 chase, giving only a verbal finding that their force was justified. She issued no written report on the decision.
August 31, 2023
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Found that Bismarck officers acted reasonably during the arrest of Ryan Pederson, who died after being restrained. She filed no charges, saying the force used did not cause his death.
April 7, 2022
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Had a defamation suit against her dismissed, and the North Dakota Supreme Court upheld the dismissal (Krile v. Lawyer, 2022 ND 28). Fired police sergeant Robyn Krile had sued over Lawyer's 2017 letter saying her office would stop calling Krile as a witness.
February 18, 2022
Source: courtlistener.com
Advised the Burleigh County Commission that it could regulate but not ban off-highway vehicles, and that state law capped fines at $10. She said residents could ask state lawmakers to raise the fine.
October 23, 2021
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Fired an assistant prosecutor in her office during a felony graffiti trial, after the judge criticized his handling of exhibits and witnesses. The jury acquitted the defendant.
April 14, 2021
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Declined to file criminal charges after reviewing a state audit of the North Dakota Department of Commerce, finding no violations of criminal law. South Dakota investigators had referred the case to her to avoid a conflict of interest.
April 20, 2020
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Ruled that two Bismarck officers were justified in fatally shooting Cody Carnes, who she said had pointed a gun at officers. She filed no charges after a state investigation.
February 24, 2020
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Won the election for Burleigh County State's Attorney, defeating fellow assistant prosecutor Brian Johnson for the seat left open by retiring State's Attorney Richard Riha.
November 6, 2018
Source: bismarcktribune.com
Past race Julie Lawyer ran in:
- County State's Attorney · November 3, 2026 · Burleigh County, North Dakota · incumbent