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    Child’s Play Becomes an Adult Stress Reliever

    Child’s Play Becomes an Adult Stress Reliever

    April 19, 2018
    Lincoln attorney Adam Prochaska spent many evenings playing LEGOs with his small children and often found himself continuing projects after his children had gone to bed. Before long Prochaska became a LEGO aficionado, creating bigger and better designs as a way to wind down after a long day at the office. He took an interest in creating the Nebraska Supreme Court out of LEGOs a couple of years ago. In November 2015 he visited the courtroom with a camera and started creating his structure in...Read more

    Bob Blanchard Receives UNO Distinguished Service Award

    Bob Blanchard Receives UNO Distinguished Service Award

    April 19, 2018
    University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) School of Criminology and Criminal Justice honors Bob Blanchard with their Distinguished Service Award. Bob started his career as probation officer in Omaha in 1990, and in 2004 hired as the coordinator for the first Young Adult Drug Court in Nebraska. Bob later helped start the first Veterans Treatment Court in Omaha in 2016. In December 2017, after 27 years of service to the Nebraska Judicial Branch, Bob retired from the Veterans Treatment Court and he...Read more

    Nebraska Probation Recognized in National Criminal Justice and Behavior Journal

    Nebraska Probation Recognized in National Criminal Justice and Behavior Journal

    April 17, 2018
    The Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation is proud to announce recognition in a national publication. The Journal of Criminal Justice and Behavior recently published a 2014 study examining the validity of how Nebraska probation officers use an evidence-based risk assessment tool, the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI). The LS/CMI measures risk and needs of adults who are either pending sentencing or placed on community supervision. The results of the study...Read more

    Juvenile Justice Home-Based Initiative Celebrates Its First Anniversary

    Juvenile Justice Home-Based Initiative Celebrates Its First Anniversary

    April 16, 2018
    It has been one year since the launch of the Juvenile Justice Home-Based Initiative – a program designed to reduce the number of youth in out-of-home care. Throughout the first year both Multisystemic Therapy (MST) and the Boys Town Ecological In-Home Family Treatment (EIHFT) services have had great successes with justice involved youth and families, and the capacity to provide these services has grown substantially. Service utilization has nearly tripled and the number of counties in which the...Read more

    Juvenile Justice System Statistical Annual Report Released

    Juvenile Justice System Statistical Annual Report Released

    April 11, 2018
    The Nebraska Juvenile Justice System 2017 Statistical Annual Report, designed to meet the requirements of Nebraska Revised Statute § 24-1007, can be found on the Judicial Branch Website and the Unicameral Legislature Website. This report is compiled by the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation and contains statistics on Juvenile Justice (status offense and juvenile delinquency) cases and on juveniles prosecuted in the adult court system. A status offense is an act that is prohibited...Read more

    Nebraska Probation Administration Staff Awarded Scholarship to Attend National Training Conference Addressing Violent Crimes Against Women

    Nebraska Probation Administration Staff Awarded Scholarship to Attend National Training Conference Addressing Violent Crimes Against Women

    April 11, 2018
    DALLAS (April 6, 2018) – Hundreds of members of law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim advocates from across the nation who work with female victims of crime have been awarded scholarships to participate in the highest quality workshops, computer labs, and case studies at the thirteenth annual Conference on Crimes Against Women (CCAW). This scholarship provides access to critical training for communities who would otherwise be unable to attend due to increasing budget constraints that public...Read more

    Long Time State Bar Commissioner Royce Norman Retires

    Long Time State Bar Commissioner Royce Norman Retires

    April 9, 2018
    Attorney Royce Norman recently retired after serving 11 years as a Nebraska State Bar Commissioner. Norman represented Judicial District 6 in grading the bar examinations and determining character and fitness of the applicants wanting to join the Nebraska State Bar Association. A celebration of his years of service to the Nebraska State Bar Commission was held at the Commission offices on April 2, 2018. Norman was presented with a plaque from Chief Justice Michael Heavican in recognition of his...Read more

    Lawrence Welch Sworn-in as Judge of the Nebraska Court of Appeals

    Lawrence Welch Sworn-in as Judge of the Nebraska Court of Appeals

    March 30, 2018
    Lawrence E. Welch, Jr. was sworn-in as the Nebraska Court of Appeals 16th judge on March 28, 2018, in the Nebraska State Capitol. Representing the 5th Judicial District, Welch replaces Judge Everett O. Inbody who retired from the Court of Appeals in December 2017. Speaking directly to Inbody, Welch said, “You have extraordinarily large shoes to fill. I cannot fill those shoes but I do intend to walk in those footsteps.” Court of Appeals Chief Judge Frankie J. Moore served as the master of...Read more

    Judges Retelsdorf and Funke Receive Nebraska State Bar Foundation’s Public Service Award for Unified Rules Regarding Cameras in Trial Courts

    Judges Retelsdorf and Funke Receive Nebraska State Bar Foundation’s Public Service Award for Unified Rules Regarding Cameras in Trial Courts

    March 30, 2018
    During the 30 th annual Nebraska State Bar Foundation’s Fellows Dinner, March 16, 2018, Chief Justice Heavican presented awards to Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Funke and District Court Judge Leigh Ann Retelsdorf for their dedicated efforts to increase awareness of Nebraska’s Judicial Branch through the news media. The two judges received the Foundation’s Public Service Award for their efforts in bringing about uniform rules permitting cameras and other recording devices into district and...Read more

    New Contract Interpreter Coordinator, Irma Watt, to Serve in Grand Island

    New Contract Interpreter Coordinator, Irma Watt, to Serve in Grand Island

    March 29, 2018
    The Administrative Office of the Courts welcomes certified Spanish court interpreter Irma Watt aboard as the newest contract Interpreter Coordinator. Ms. Watt, who is based in the Hall County Courthouse (pictured) will provide interpreter services and coordination services to Hall County and the 10th Judicial District. Ms. Watt’s interpreting expertise and scheduling skills help fulfill the Supreme Court’s mission to provide language access to limited English proficient litigants in Central...Read more

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