N.D. Cent. Code § 27-23-01: Definitions

In this chapter, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires:

1."Chair" means the chair of the commission and includes any acting chair.

2."Commission" means the judicial conduct commission.

3."Disciplinary counsel" means one or more attorneys appointed by the commission to gather and present evidence and act on its behalf in proceedings before the commission, a hearing panel, or the supreme court.

4."Hearing panel" means a four-member panel consisting of at least two citizen members of the commission, appointed by the chair to conduct a hearing and make recommendations after the filing of formal charges or a petition for transfer to incapacity inactive status.

5."Judge" means a justice of the supreme court, a judge of the district court, a judicial referee, a judge of a municipal court, and, in the case provided in section 29-01-14, a small claims court referee.

6."Shall" is mandatory, but not jurisdictional, and "may" is permissive.