Judge of the Separate Juvenile Court for the Douglas County, Wadie Thomas, Retiring End of January 2018
Judge Thomas established Adoption Saturday in the fall of 1999 when less than a handful of states were participating in what has come to be a national court-sponsored program. National Adoption Day is celebrated every year on or near the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Nebraska’s celebrations have now spread to courts in all sections of the state. Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the thousands of children in foster care. Working with attorneys, adoption professionals, child welfare agencies, and advocates, courts work to raise awareness of the need for permanent, loving homes for foster children.
In his letter of retirement to the Governor, Judge Thomas noted, “It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve in this (separate juvenile court judge) capacity for the last twenty-two years.” Judge Thomas, is retiring January 31, 2018.
Judge Thomas has been a prominent member of the Nebraska judiciary having chaired many high-profile committees throughout his career. He currently serves on the Nebraska Commission on Judicial Qualifications, on the Interpreter Advisory Committee, and as lead judge in the 4th Judicial District for the Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative. In 2013, Judge Thomas received the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Outstanding Judge Award for Service to the Community for his establishment of Adoption Saturday and his work to expand the project throughout the state. He is a Nebraska State Bar Foundation Fellow, a designation based on the high integrity and upstanding character of members of the legal profession.
Judge Thomas has served as president of the Nebraska Separate Juvenile Judges Association on several occasions. He also served on sub-committees of the judges association throughout his career.
After taking the bench in 1995, Judge Thomas was retained in his position by area voters, most recently in 2016.
The first step in replacing Judge Thomas will be for the Judicial Resources Commission to call a meeting to determine whether or not, based on judicial workload statistics, his retirement creates a judicial vacancy on the Separate Juvenile Court in Omaha.
Resources Commission information: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/judicial-resources-commission
Judge Thomas’ judicial biography is found: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/hon-wadie-thomas-0