Williams County, North Dakota — April 28, 2026
After a two-day jury trial in the Northwest Judicial District in Williston, a Williams County jury returned a verdict of NOT GUILTY on a Class C felony Aggravated Assault charge against our client. The trial began Monday, April 27, 2026, and concluded Tuesday, April 28, 2026, with the jury siding with the defense on every count.
This was a hard-fought case, and we are deeply grateful to the twelve citizens of Williams County who took their oath seriously, listened carefully to every witness, and applied the law as the Court instructed them.
The Case in a Nutshell
The State alleged that our client willfully caused serious bodily injury to another man during a late-night encounter in a Williston apartment parking lot in the summer of 2025. The State pursued the case as a Class C felony, exposing our client to potential prison time, a felony record, and the long shadow that comes with both.
From day one, our defense was clear: this was a case about self-defense.
From the very first time our client sat down with me in my office, he told me he had been defending himself — and over the ten months that followed, through every meeting, every phone call, every interview, and every prep session, his account never changed. Not a detail. Not a nuance. Not once. He told me exactly what happened the day we met, and he told the jury exactly the same story under oath nearly a year later.
That consistency matched the record. Our client did not deny throwing the punch. He told his fiancée what happened within minutes of the encounter. He told the responding officers the same thing that night. He told them the same thing again at the moment of arrest. He told me the same thing in our very first conversation. And he told the jury the same story under oath, eight months later. One story. Every time. Never wavered.
The Defense Theme
We tried this case on a single, simple theme: the State cannot disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
Under North Dakota law, when self-defense is raised, the State carries two burdens — both beyond a reasonable doubt. The State must prove every element of the charged offense, and the State must prove the defendant was not acting in self-defense. The defendant has no burden of proof. None.
We walked the jury through that lens at every stage of the trial — in voir dire, in opening, in cross-examination, and in closing. We reminded them that the presumption of innocence is not a slogan. It is the law. Every juror walked into that courtroom with our client at zero on a 0-to-10 scale, and only the State could move that needle. The State had to move it all the way to ten.
What the Evidence Showed
The State’s case rested almost entirely on the testimony of the alleged victim — a witness whose story shifted between his statement to the first officer at the scene, his statement to the second officer at the scene, and his testimony in court eight months later. New details kept appearing, and each new detail conveniently made him look more sympathetic.
We highlighted what the investigation didn’t do. An eyewitness 911 caller was never tracked down. A key resident witness who was at the scene that night was never called to testify. No physical evidence was preserved or measured to support the State’s theory of motive. A carpet knife found at the scene was waved away with a leather sheath and no corroborating evidence.
By the time the State rested, the gaps were impossible to ignore.
Credit Where It’s Due
A win like this is never about one person. It is about a client who trusted the process, told the truth, and held the line. It is about a family that stood by him through ten months of uncertainty. It is about a jury that did its job — carefully, thoughtfully, and without shortcut.
It is also a reminder that in this country, you do not have to prove your innocence. The government has to prove your guilt. And when the government cannot do that — when reasonable doubt is real — the only correct verdict is not guilty.
If You’re Facing a Felony Charge in North Dakota
Felony charges are not a time for guesswork. If you or someone you love is facing aggravated assault or any other serious criminal charge in Williams County or anywhere in North Dakota, call Nehring Law Office, PLLC at 701-577-5555 or email info@nehringlaw.com. We fight cases. We try cases. And we win cases.
— Jeff Nehring, Nehring Law Office, PLLC — Williston, North Dakota