Sheriff Paul D. Laney is a North Dakota native and was raised in rural Cass County near Horace, ND. He attended school in West Fargo, ND and graduated from West Fargo High School in 1984. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1984. While in the Marine Corps he served in a Communications Detachment with MSSG-13 of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Sheriff Laney was honorably discharged in October of 1988.

He returned to the Fargo area in 1989 and was hired by the Fargo Police Department in August of 1989. Sheriff Laney served in many capacities with the Fargo Police Department. He served as a patrol officer, gang/narcotics investigator, field training officer and tactical team member. When Sheriff Laney retired from the Fargo Police Department in December of 2006, he was a lieutenant and commander of the Red River Valley SWAT Team. Sheriff Laney was elected to a four year term of office in November of 2006 and was sworn in as the Cass County Sheriff on January 2, 2007. He was re-elected to a second term as Cass County Sheriff and was sworn in on January 3, 2011.

Sheriff Laney assumed duties for his third term as Cass County Sheriff on January 1, 2015. Sheriff Laney is the Immediate Past President of the North Dakota Sheriff’s and Deputies Association and serves on the Board of Directors for the North Dakota Association of Counties (NDACo). Sheriff Laney also serves the Board of Directors for the National Sheriff’s Association and serves on two national committees, the Drug Enforcement Committee and he is the current chairman of the Special Operations Committee, for the National Sheriff’s Association. Sheriff Laney hosted a weekly radio show called Law Talk with Sheriff Laney on KFGO Radio from 2010-2012. Sheriff Laney was named the E911 Institutes “Government Leader of the Year” for 2011 and was the National Sheriff’s Association’s 2012 Ferris E. Lucas “National Sheriff of the Year.” August 13, 2015 during the North Dakota Peace Officers Association Annual Conference, Sheriff Laney was presented the Lone Eagle Award in recognition of his, “Outstanding and Dedicated Law Enforcement in the State of North Dakota.” Sheriff Laney has two daughters and lives in West Fargo with his wife Patty.