Judge of the Sarpy County Court, Robert C. Wester, is retiring effective April 30, 2022.  Wester has served as County Court Judge for the 2nd Judicial District in Papillion, Nebraska, since 1994.

In his announcement letter to the Chief Justice, Wester noted, “I have sincerely enjoyed the opportunity to serve the State of Nebraska and its citizens.”

Wester has served on numerous judicial committees for the 2nd Judicial District throughout his career.  In 2009, Wester received the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Outstanding Judge Award for Service to the Community for his long-term, ongoing service to the Stephen Center, a shelter for the homeless, and a newer separate residential chemical dependency facility in Omaha.  After its opening in 1984, Judge Wester has been credited as a critical component of the Center’s success.  Outstanding Judge is the highest honor given by the Chief Justice to recognize members of the judiciary for meritorious projects and exemplary accomplishments.  Wester was recently honored as a Judicial Branch Everyday Hero for his work organizing the Sarpy County court’s annual charitable event while accommodating the restrictions of the pandemic.

After taking the bench in 1994, Wester has been regularly retained in his judicial position by area voters, most recently in 2016.

The first step in replacing Wester will be for the Judicial Resources Commission to call a meeting to determine whether, based on judicial workload statistics, his retirement creates a judicial vacancy on the County Court for the 2nd Judicial District.