Judge Cynthia Feland of Bismarck, ND; ethical misfit

The state of North Dakota presented Cynthia M. Feland with a law license in 1991 after she graduated from the University of North Dakota Law College.

The Disciplinary Board charged Cynthia with the following misconduct, which took place before she ascended to the bench after duping the voters in the Bismarck area in 2010.

At the time of her misconduct, Cynthia was employed as an assistant prosecutor for Burleigh County.

While employed as assistant prosecutor, Cynthia prosecuted Charles Blunt, the executive director of North Dakota Workforce Safety and insurance (WSI), for misapplication of entrusted property.

One of the issues presented in the criminal trial was whether Blunt should have sough recoupment of relocation expenses WSI paid to WSI executive Dave Spencer. Pursuant to the terms of Spencer’s employment agreement, WSI agreed to pay his relocation expenses, but he was required to repay half of the expenses if he voluntarily resigned within the first two years.

When Spencer left WSI within two years, Blunt did no seek recoupment of the relocation expenses. Subsequently, Blunt submitted a memo prepared by Mr. Wahl stating that Spencer did not voluntarily resign his position and therefore was not liable to pay half of his relocation expenses.

The disciplinary panel ruled that Cynthia failed to disclose the Wahl memo, which would have assisted in Blunt’s defense of the criminal charges lodged against him. Put simply, Cynthia concealed exculpatory evidence from Blunt’s attorney prior to and during the criminal trial.

As a consequence of her misconduct, the enablers for Attorney Misfits sitting on the North Dakota Supreme Court punished Cynthia by gifting her with a complimentary admonition

As we speak (ca. March 2014), Cynthia sits a District Court Judge in Bismarck, North Dakota.