District Court judge for the 10th Judicial District, Stephen R. Illingworth, is retiring November 30, 2021.

In his retirement letter to the Governor, Illingworth wrote, “I especially wish to thank Governor Kay Orr for the appointment and opportunity to serve the citizens of the State of Nebraska and the Tenth Judicial District since October 7, 1988.”

Counties in Nebraska’s 10th Judicial District include Adams, Clay, Franklin, Harlan, Kearney, Nuckolls, Phelps, and Webster.

Illingworth is currently a judge of the Central Nebraska Drug Court and presiding judge for the district court of the 10th Judicial District. He has been involved with numerous judicial committees for both the Supreme Court and Nebraska District Judges Association. He has occupied all Nebraska District Judges Association offices, including his appointment as president in 1998.

Illingworth has served the citizens of the 10th Judicial District since 1988, having been retained in his position by area voters, most recently in 2016.

The first step in replacing Illingworth will be for the Judicial Resources Commission to call a meeting to determine whether his retirement creates a judicial vacancy on the district court within the Judicial District, based on judicial workload statistics.

News Reporters:

• Judge Illingworth’s Judicial Profile  
• Replacing a trial court judge