[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 164 (Wednesday, November 16, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DALE SANDSTROM

 Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Dale 
Sandstrom, who is retiring from the North Dakota Supreme Court after 24 
years of devoted service.
  Justice Sandstrom is a fifth-generation North Dakotan. Born in Grand 
Forks, he grew up in Fargo and graduated first from North Dakota State 
University and then from the University of North Dakota School of Law.
  After law school, Justice Sandstrom began his career in public 
service. He came to Washington, DC, to work under Senator Milton R. 
Young, who was North Dakota's 15th Senator and, for a time, President 
Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate.
  Justice Sandstrom returned to North Dakota to work on the North 
Dakota Criminal Justice Commission. He then served for 6 years as 
assistant attorney general and headed the office's Consumer Fraud and 
Antitrust Division. In 1981, North Dakota Governor Allen I. Olson 
appointed Justice Sandstrom to his cabinet as the State securities 
commissioner.
  Two years later, in 1983, Justice Sandstrom was appointed to the 
North Dakota Public Service Commission, a position to which he was 
elected in 1984 and then reelected to in 1990. During his tenure on the 
commission, he served two terms as its president.
  In 1992, Justice Sandstrom was elected to the North Dakota Supreme 
Court. He was reelected to two 10-year terms in 1996 and 2006 and was a 
member of the court during my time as Governor of North Dakota.
  Justice Sandstrom chairs the North Dakota Supreme Court's Joint 
Procedure Committee and the North Dakota Advisory Commission on Cameras 
in the Courtroom. He is also a member of the court's Joint Committee on 
Attorney Standards and is a past chairman of the court's Technology 
Committee, the North Dakota Judicial Conference, and the North Dakota 
Judges Association.
  North Dakotans have tremendous access to justice, and the State is a 
leader in court technology because of Justice Sandstrom's work. In 
1996, he created the court's award-winning website, and in 2011, North 
Dakota became the first State in the country to have its entire trial 
court system on an electronic record system.
  Justice Sandstrom is married to Gail Hagerty, who is a judge for the 
North Dakota South Central Judicial District. Together, they have three 
children and live in Bismarck.
  Throughout his life, Justice Sandstrom has distinguished himself 
through his example of integrity and hard work, especially during his 
tenure on the North Dakota Supreme Court. He has shown not only 
outstanding knowledge of law, but also wisdom in applying it. He has 
been a mentor to his law clerks, as well as the State bar.
  Outside of his work on the court, Justice Sandstrom is an active 
member in the Bismarck community. An Eagle Scout, he remains active in 
scouting and received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award for his 
involvement.
  We honor Justice Sandstrom for his excellent work, and we celebrate 
his achievements. His efforts have made our State a safer and better 
place to live, and we commemorate him for his dedication to the people 
of North Dakota. The court has been well-served by his thoughtful 
opinions from the bench, and North Dakota will always be grateful for 
his service to our State.

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