Chief Justice Mike Heavican delivered his annual State of the Judiciary address in the Unicameral Legislative Chamber on January 21, 2022.

The address was given at the invitation of the Speaker of the Legislature, Senator Mike Hilgers. The Chief Justice used his time with the legislature to highlight Judicial Branch priorities for the upcoming year, review the previous year, and provide relevant information directly to lawmakers.

During his remarks, the Chief Justice noted that the Judicial Branch owes the success of this past year to the good old-fashioned work ethic of judges, staff, and practicing attorneys. “We also owe our positive accomplishments to the increased use of technology and the accompanying innovative initiatives of our court family.”  Heavican added, “We are still learning from the lessons of the pandemic. Hearings, specifically Zoom and WebEx hearings, were held countless times in the past year. As I speak, there are trial court judges holding virtual hearings from their homes or offices because they tested positive for pandemic-related illnesses or were exposed to someone who tested positive. Without this technology, our courts would be crippled with delays.”

Watch and read:

State of the Judiciary Video
State of the Judiciary written remarks

Also given to senators:

2021 Annual Report of the Judicial Branch 
Supplemental Informational material including the Judicial Branch 2021 Everyday Heroes

Photo:  Screen shot from legislative session broadcasted by Nebraska Public Media.

(L to R) Justice John Freudenberg, Justice Jonathan Papik, Justice Jeffrey Funke, Speaker Mike Hilgers, Chief Justice Mike Heavican, Justice Stephanie Stacy (seated behind podium, not pictured) and Justice William Cassel. Not pictured: Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman.