On a day that saw 15 men and women contend for spots on the East Central District bench, one man took his black robe with nothing but a wardrobe malfunction to overcome.
"I don't suppose I'm going to be a real judge until I learn to button this robe," Douglas Herman said with his necktie exposed, drawing laughter from a crowded Cass County courtroom.
Herman, formerly an attorney with Great Plains Software and Vogel Law Firm, will begin handling civil cases next week for Cass, Steele and Trail Counties. Gov. John Hoeven appointed him in March to replace Judge Norman Backes, who retired May 31 before completing his last of four six-year terms.
Herman received his robe and gavel and was sworn in during the Tuesday afternoon ceremony. The event, called an investiture, marks the passage of an attorney to the bench and reminds the inductee he or she must now work "without bias, without prejudice and without any agenda," said North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle.
"It's a responsibility that is not light," VandeWalle said. "Public opinion will not always be with you."
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U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson, who served as a district judge out of Cass County from 1995 to 2003, told Herman the office promises the chance to do great good, with healing lives and improving the community among the opportunities.
"You know Doug, you can't imagine today how interesting and rewarding this job is actually going to be," Erickson said.
"Some days are going to be fun; some days are going to break your heart. But every single day, every one of them, will afford you the opportunity to make a difference."
Herman, who was a finalist for the federal judgeship Erickson received, has "that rare mixture of genius and ability that is the hallmark of the best and brightest," Erickson said.
A father to three children and husband to fellow attorney Sarah Andrews Herman, Douglas Herman said serving in public office has captured his thoughts since he was a boy. Becoming a judge became a goal soon after he started practicing law 29 years ago, he said.
Herman must run in the next election held no sooner than two years from his appointment.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Forster at (701) 241-5538
