Though serving as a state's attorney in a distant county still means a lot of driving, technology has made the situation easier.

Jim Vukelic, a Bismarck attorney who serves as acting state's attorney in Grant County, served as the state's attorney in Hettinger County and in Grant County about 25 years ago.

Back then, Vukelic said he would travel from the Hettinger County seat of Mott to Grant County to have a sheriff sign an affidavit for a search warrant. Then, he would have to take the affidavit to a judge, who might have been in Hettinger or Dickinson, then return the search warrant to the sheriff so the warrant could be executed.

"Given the distances, that was quite the undertaking," he said.

Now, a state's attorney can fax affidavits to judges, hold hearings by telephone and use e-mail to communicate, Vukelic said.

Maury Thompson, a Bismarck attorney who serves as Sioux County state's attorney, had served that county while living in the Bismarck area in the past, as well. He agreed that faxes, e-mails and other technological advances have made serving other counties easier.

The new technologies have made it possible to communicate with a judge without having to transport prisoners to a certain courtroom, he said.

Though new technologies have cut down on miles state's attorneys have to travel, Vukelic does not believe that has influenced counties to hire nonresident attorneys.

"It's just something that's forced upon the counties," he said.