GRAND FORKS — Closing out his career with judgeship is not something District Judge John Thelen anticipated when he began practicing law in 1981 and, at times, he has questioned making such a leap decades into his career.

“I’ve always felt that the position might have been a bridge too far at times — from the point of view of the complexity of some of the cases that get assigned to you,” he said. “But fear of failure is a great motivator, and so I’ve always recognized that, like, why am I anxious about this particular case? Well, it’s because I don’t know enough about it, so let’s go find out what you need to know.”

Thelen, a judge in North Dakota’s Northeast Central Judicial District encompassing Grand Forks and Nelson counties, recently announced he will retire in August after more than 40 years practicing law and nearly a decade serving as a judge.

Though stressful and complicated at times, Thelen feels he has met his goal as a judge, which has been to protect the integrity of the judicial system and the public’s perception of it. He believes there is a high level of respect, at all levels of the judicial system, for fairness and integrity.

“So that’s that’s been my goal, to continue to maintain that and make sure that it’s not affected because of things that I might do or say or how I might handle a particular case — and I think I’ve accomplished that,” Thelen said.

Though it was never his plan to pursue judgeship, as of his last day — Aug. 1 — he will have served as a district judge for 10 years.

Thelen moved from his hometown of Melrose, Minnesota, to attend UND on a basketball scholarship in 1971. Grand Forks has remained his home ever since, aside from the two years he spent serving in the U.S. Army, which he was drafted into after his freshman year of college.

“The university has been very good to me,” he said. “This community has been very good to me, and the state of North Dakota as well.”

Thelen graduated with an undergraduate degree in economics and, not knowing what career to pursue, he thought, “Well, let’s take a look at law school, and give that a try.” He received his Juris Doctor from UND Law School and was admitted to the North Dakota Bar in 1981.

Thelen spent 28 years in private practice, doing criminal defense work as well as handling family law cases. He was also able to do quite a few juvenile cases under the court appointment program, which he believes set him up nicely for the judicial referee/magistrate position he accepted in 2009. The position was the second of its kind in Grand Forks and is similar to that of a judge, but with limitations on the kinds of cases and hearings they can handle in court.

“I felt I brought a lot to the table, in terms of experience,” he said.

In 2015, then-Gov. Jack Dalrymple appointed Thelen as a district court judge.

One of the most important things he has learned during his tenure is that while running a courtroom includes some intervention, a judge should largely step back, allowing both sides to present their arguments.

“They know their side of the case better than you do, and they have a goal of what they want to accomplish with their presentations, so let’s let them do that,” Thelen said. “Now, yes, you have to draw some parameters and some lines, but about the time you start thinking that you know more than them, you make mistakes.”

It’s best to let people do their jobs and take in the information needed to make the decisions required of a judge, he said. At times, it may be necessary to step in. When someone is representing themselves and has no experience in a courtroom, they may need more guidance on legal processes and rules.

“We have, I think, an obligation to try to maintain a fair playing field,” Thelen said.

Being thorough and organized — to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity and understands court procedures — have been some of his main focuses.

“It’s something that I try to do, probably to the point where the state or the defense goes, ‘Jeez, do we have to listen to you ask them all these questions again?’ when (the defendant is) entering a plea,” Thelen said. “We go over quite a list.”

Defendants are asked whether they understand their charges and, even if they say yes, a summary is read to them. Though practices like these may feel redundant, every once in a while, it helps someone realize they didn’t fully understand what was happening, and might even have been about to agree to something they didn’t intend to.

“You just never know when that’s going to happen,” Thelen said. “So the fact that you take that kind of time with everybody, yeah, that can be frustrating for those who are trying to get moving along. But it can also be worthwhile.”

In his retirement, Thelen will have more time to focus on his family — including his three children, whom he and his wife adopted about a decade ago, who are still in high school. He says he is grateful for the opportunities he has had, both professional and personal, that have allowed him to become part of the community.

Thelen looks forward to attending his replacement’s investiture and reminds potential applicants that when taking on the role, one does not own the position, they are serving in it. He advises them of the dedication that a judgeship requires; it does not offer the same flexibility other legal careers may have, because people are relying on them for a chance to be heard.

The position is a good opportunity, though, both to advance a legal career and serve the community, Thelen said.