North Dakota bench: Judge McCullough steps down after two decades
Governor Kelly Armstrong will select a successor to the East Central District judge, whose departure leaves five candidates in the running.
By Harper Collins ·
Judge Steven McCullough packed his gavel and left the courtroom for the final time on Friday, October 30. He has served in the East Central District for 22 years, a tenure that concluded with his retirement after holding the presiding judge role for the last two years.
The district covers Cass, Traill, and Steele counties. McCullough, 64, previously worked as a private attorney in West Fargo before winning his first election in 2004. He described his early legal career as a "junkman litigator" where he handled cases his partners avoided, ranging from personal injury to water law.
During his time on the bench, McCullough presided over various high-profile cases. However, he identified adoptions and drug court matters as the pinnacle of his career. He credited his analytical mind with helping him navigate these disputes. His first words upon entering a courtroom were always a request for people to remain seated.
McCullough noted that the shift from paper files to electronic records brought a new pressure to his work. "Nobody expected you to turn around a motion in a day, now if it has 'expedited' on it, they expect it to be turned around right away," he said. He viewed his role as assisting people through difficult periods of their lives.
"It makes me feel old," McCullough said, pointing to the boxes of memories he had packed from his office. He stated he did not want to stay on the bench until people questioned his capabilities. "I did not want to have to last until they said 'Oh my God can you believe what McCullough is doing?'," he explained.
Five individuals have applied to fill the vacancy left by McCullough. Governor Kelly Armstrong will choose the next judge for the East Central District. Judge Wade Webb, who has served the longest in the state at 23 years, has assumed the role of presiding judge in McCullough's absence.
McCullough expressed a desire to be remembered for helping people get through their cases. "Usually it's one of the worst times in their lives when they are in the courtroom, so if I could aid people through that, I thought that would be a good way of being remembered," he said.
