Nebraska District Court Judge Todd O. Engleman of Omaha, Nebraska, was invited to sit with the Nebraska Supreme Court on January 31, 2023.

Engleman heard arguments in the case of S-22-0326 Pinnacle Bancorp, Inc. v. Bruce Moritz and Nebraska Commission of Labor. The district court affirmed the decision of the Nebraska Department of Labor Appeal Tribunal which determined that Appellee was not disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits because he did not engage in misconduct connected to his work.  On its own motion, the Supreme Court ordered this case to be transferred from the docket of the Court of Appeals to its docket. 

Engleman also heard arguments in the case of S-22-0164 Darling Ingredients, Inc., f/k/a Darling International, Inc., and Darling National, A Limited Liability Company v. City of Bellevue, Nebraska, A Nebraska, Municipal Corporation.  The Supreme Court previously decided the case of Darling Ingredients v. City of Bellevue., 309 Neb. 338, 960 N.W.2d 284 (2021), in which the Supreme Court remanded the case back to the trial court for the trial court to consider whether the City of Bellevue had an improper purpose when annexing land.  On remand, the trial court found that Darling Ingredients, Inc. failed to meet its burden of proof that the City of Bellevue, Nebraska had an improper purpose in annexing land.  On its own motion, the Supreme Court ordered this case to be transferred from the docket of the Court of Appeals to its docket. 

Engleman sat in place of Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman, who was recused from both cases. The Court session was held in the Supreme Court Courtroom of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln.

Seven justices make up the Nebraska Supreme Court: Chief Justice Mike Heavican and six associate justices. On occasion, a justice must recuse him or herself from a case, and a judge from a district court or the Court of Appeals is asked to sit with the Supreme Court.  

The January 31, 2023, oral arguments can be viewed on the Court’s archive.

Reporters:

• Judicial Profile for Judge Todd O. Engleman
• Background on the Supreme Court
• Justices of the Nebraska Supreme Court

Screen shot from argument session on Nebraska Public Media:

(L to R) Justice Jonathan Papik, Justice Stephanie Stacy, Judge Todd Engleman, Chief Justice Mike Heavican, Justice William Cassel, Justice Jeff Funke, and Justice John Freudenberg. Arguing before the Court is attorney Leigh Campbell Joyce. Recording Court arguments is Allyson Stewart.