North Dakota – Governor Kelly Armstrong has appointed Marina Spahr, a Bismarck attorney with over 30 years of experience in civil and criminal law, to fill the vacant judgeship in the South Central Judicial District. The appointment will take effect on September 15.
Spahr currently serves as assistant attorney general and director of the North Dakota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, a role she has held since 2019. Before that, she was a senior assistant Burleigh County state’s attorney for nearly four years, focusing on felony-level crimes directly affecting victims.
Between 1994 and 2015, Spahr practiced privately in Carrington and Cooperstown, specializing in family law, real estate, probate, and contracts. During that time, she also held various prosecutorial roles in multiple counties across North Dakota.
Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Spahr earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Saskatchewan and graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1992. Over her career, she has participated in more than 70 civil and criminal trials and has appeared before the North Dakota Supreme Court 20 times.
The judgeship became available following the June 6 retirement of Judge David E. Reich, who had served the district since 2006. Spahr was selected from three finalists for the position, which is based in Bismarck.
The South Central Judicial District includes Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, and Sioux counties.
