In Re IK

2003 ND 101, 663 N.W.2d 197, 2003 WL 21395613
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJune 17, 2003
Docket20030131
StatusPublished

This text of 2003 ND 101 (In Re IK) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re IK, 2003 ND 101, 663 N.W.2d 197, 2003 WL 21395613 (N.D. 2003).

Opinion

663 N.W.2d 197 (2003)
2003 ND 101

In the Interest of I.K.
South Central Human Service Center, Petitioner and Appellee,
v.
I.K., Respondent and Appellant.

No. 20030131.

Supreme Court of North Dakota.

June 17, 2003.

*198 Jay A. Schmitz, Assistant State's Attorney, Jamestown, for petitioner and appellee.

Thomas E. Merrick, Jamestown, for respondent and appellant.

*199 SANDSTROM, Justice.

[¶ 1] I.K. appeals from a May 8, 2003, Southeast District Court order vacating an order of dismissal and discharging her from treatment, and a May 13, 2003, Southeast District Court order for continuing alternative treatment for a period of one year or until further order of the court, ordering her to keep all appointments with her psychiatrist and to take her prescribed medication. I.K. argues the district court erred in vacating its earlier order, and, because she is not a "person requiring treatment" as defined in N.D.C.C. § 25-03.1-02(11), erred in ordering continuing alternative treatment. We affirm the May 8, 2003, order vacating the earlier order as proper, and we reverse the May 13, 2003, continuing alternative treatment order because it is not supported by the evidence.

I

[¶ 2] On August 8, 2002, the district court, following a hearing, ordered continuing alternative treatment for I.K. to undergo outpatient treatment other than hospitalization for nine months through the South Central Human Service Center. I.K. was ordered to follow all recommended treatment and to make herself available to take all medications. She was to reside in a residential setting as directed by a prior guardianship order. On April 8, 2003, the Human Service Center petitioned for a continuing alternative treatment order. On April 28, 2003, the district court held a hearing. At the hearing, I.K. argued the Human Service Center's petition was not filed according to N.D.C.C. § 25-03.1-22(2), which required the hearing to be scheduled within 14 days. On April 28, 2003, the district court dismissed the Human Service Center's petition and ordered I.K. to be discharged.

[¶ 3] The Human Service Center moved to vacate the order dismissing the petition and moved for a hearing. The Human Service Center argued that N.D.C.C. § 25-03.1-22 does not govern I.K.'s case; rather, the appropriate statute is N.D.C.C. § 25-03.1-31. On May 8, 2003, the district court vacated its April 28, 2003, order and scheduled a hearing for May 12, 2003.

[¶ 4] On May 12, 2003, the district court made its findings of fact, conclusions of law and order on the record. The court issued a consistent written order on May 13, ordering that the "Respondent undergo treatment other than hospitalization as follows: Keep all appointments with Dr. Yabut or a psychiatrist that replaces him or that the Respondent hires and continue to take Seroquel until May 12, 2004[,] a period of one year, or until further order of the Court." I.K. appeals from the May 8, 2003, and May 13, 2003, orders.

[¶ 5] The district court had jurisdiction under N.D. Const. art. VI, § 8, and N.D.C.C. §§ 27-05-06, 25-03.1-03. This Court has jurisdiction under N.D. Const. art. VI, § 6, and N.D.C.C. §§ 28-27-01, 25-03.1-29.

II

[¶ 6] I.K. contends the District Court wrongly vacated its order dismissing the petition for continuing alternative treatment and discharging her from treatment. I.K. argues the Human Service Center's proper course of action would have been to appeal rather than to move the district court to vacate its order.

[¶ 7] A court may relieve a party from a final judgment under Rule 60(b) for the following reasons:

(i) mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect; (ii) newly discovered evidence which by due diligence could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial under Rule 59(b);
*200 (iii) fraud (whether denominated intrinsic or extrinsic), misrepresentation, or other misconduct of an adverse party; (iv) the judgment is void; (v) the judgment has been satisfied, released, or discharged, or a previous judgment upon which it is based has been reversed or otherwise vacated, or it is no longer equitable that the judgment should have prospective application; or (vi) any other reason justifying relief from the operation of the judgment.

N.D.R.Civ.P. 60(b).

[¶ 8] "It is within the trial court's discretion whether to grant or deny a motion to vacate." Filler v. Bragg, 1997 ND 24, ¶ 9, 559 N.W.2d 225. "Absent an abuse of this discretion, we will not set aside the trial court's decision on appeal." Id. "A trial court abuses its discretion if it acts in an arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable manner, or if it misinterprets or misapplies the law." Id.

[¶ 9] The South Central Human Service Center argument relates to whether or not the district court correctly applied North Dakota's mental health statutes in rendering its April 28, 2003, order. Because this is not a case involving a question of jurisdiction, the analysis turns to the remaining grounds for setting aside the judgment under N.D.R.Civ.P. 60(b).

[¶ 10] In Production Credit Ass'n v. Dobrovolny, we surveyed the factors to evaluate whether a trial court abuses its discretion in denying a Rule 60(b) motion, stating:

"An abuse of discretion by the trial court is never assumed and must be affirmatively established. Dvorak v. Dvorak, 329 N.W.2d 868, 870 (N.D.1983); Avco Financial Services v. Schroeder, 318 N.W.2d 910, 912 (N.D.1982). An abuse of discretion is defined as an unreasonable, arbitrary, or unconscionable attitude on the part of the trial court. Dvorak, 329 N.W.2d at 870; Avco, 318 N.W.2d at 912. A movant for relief under Rule 60(b) has a burden of establishing sufficient grounds for disturbing the finality of the judgment. Avco, id.; Gajewski v. Bratcher, 240 N.W.2d 871, 886 (N.D.1976). The moving party must also show more than that the lower court made a `poor' decision, but that it positively abused the discretion it has in administering the rule. Bender v. Liebelt, 303 N.W.2d 316, 318 (N.D.1981). We will not overturn that court's decision merely because it is not the one we may have made if we were deciding the motion. [State Bank of Burleigh County Trust v.] Patten, 357 N.W.2d [239] at 242 [(N.D.1984)]; State v.] Red Arrow [Towbar Sales Co.], 298 N.W.2d [514] at 516 [(N.D.1980)].
....
"A 60(b) motion is not to be used to relieve a party from free, calculated, and deliberate choices. Hefty v. Aldrich, 220 N.W.2d [840] at 846 [(N.D.1974)].
....
"A 60(b) motion is not to be used as a substitute for an appeal. Hefty, 220 N.W.2d at 846."

415 N.W.2d 489, 491-92 (N.D.1987) (quoting First National Bank of Crosby v. Bjorgen, 389 N.W.2d 789, 794-96 (N.D.1986)).

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Related

Filler v. Bragg
1997 ND 24 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1997)
Peterson v. Peterson
1999 ND 191 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1999)
In the Interest of L.B.
452 N.W.2d 75 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1990)
Dvorak v. Dvorak
329 N.W.2d 868 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1983)
In the Interest of Rambousek
331 N.W.2d 548 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1983)
Avco Financial Services v. Schroeder
318 N.W.2d 910 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1982)
First National Bank of Crosby v. Bjorgen
389 N.W.2d 789 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1986)
Bender v. Liebelt
303 N.W.2d 316 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1981)
In the Interest of B.D.
510 N.W.2d 629 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1994)
Gajewski v. Bratcher
240 N.W.2d 871 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1976)
Production Credit Ass'n of Minot v. Dobrovolny
415 N.W.2d 489 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1987)
M.K. v. J.K.
1999 ND 182 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1999)
Haider v. H.G.
2001 ND 142 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2001)
South Central Human Service Center v. I.K.
2003 ND 101 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
2003 ND 101, 663 N.W.2d 197, 2003 WL 21395613, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-ik-nd-2003.