Grand Forks Rep. Claire Cory's DUI arraignment canceled
May 21—GRAND FORKS — The arraignment for a Grand Forks lawmaker charged with DUI was canceled.
Rep. Claire Cory, R-Grand Forks, was
arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence
on May 7. She pleaded not guilty to the Class B misdemeanor on May 16. Class B misdemeanors carry a maximum penalty of 30 days imprisonment and a $1,500 fine.
An arraignment in her case that had been scheduled for Tuesday, May 21, appears to have been canceled because she intends to schedule a change-of-plea hearing, according to the case docket. As of Tuesday morning, no change-of-plea hearing had yet been scheduled. A pretrial conference in the case is still on the schedule for July 16.
Ward Johnson, Cory's attorney, did not return a call for comment. Police also declined to comment on her case on Monday, May 20, because they still consider the case open.
Cory represents Grand Forks' District 42 in the state Legislature. District 42 generally includes far western Grand Forks, on the west side of I-29, along with a strip of land that reaches to Grand Forks Air Force Base. It also includes a segment that juts eastward into Grand Forks, between DeMers Avenue and Gateway Drive.
She first took office in 2019, when she was appointed to fill Rep. Jake Blum's seat when he moved out of state. She was elected to the position again in 2020.
Cory is now running for the District 42 Senate seat held by Sen. Curt Kruen, R-Grand Forks, who is not seeking reelection. She will face Dustin McNally in the June primary.
