Gov. Jack Dalrymple appointed Regent attorney James Gion to the position of Southwest Judicial District Court judge on Nov. 10, with chambers in Dickinson.
Gion replaces Zane Anderson of Bowman who retired at the beginning of the month after serving 15 years on the bench.
“James brings to the bench an outstanding record of service and a wealth of legal experience that will be a great benefit to the citizens served by the Southwest Judicial District,” Dalrymple said in a press release. “I am confident that James will bring to the bench the same sense of fairness and respect for the law that has defined his career.”
Gion has served as the Hettinger County State’s Attorney since 1991 and the Slope County State’s Attorney since 2012. He has also served as the state’s attorney for Bowman and Grant counties as well as the attorney for the city of Regent. A longtime prosecutor, Gion has managed a wide range of criminal and civil matters including jury trials, child support enforcement and other law enforcement matters. He established the Gion Law Office in 1982 where he has gained extensive experience in general law practice including civil litigation, administrative law, probate and estate planning.
A lifelong resident of Hettinger County, Gion earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from the University of North Dakota in 1976. He earned his law degree at the Dakota State’s Attorneys’ Association and has served on a committee that develops training for prosecution of domestic violence cases. He is past president of the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperative Attorneys and is a trustee of St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Regent.
The Southwest Judicial District serves Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark counties.
