As part of its ongoing efforts to increase public access to the judicial process, the Nebraska Supreme Court selected the Buffalo County Courthouse in Kearney to pilot a new livestreaming initiative for Judicial Nominating Commissions. Presided over by Justice William Cassel, the January session marked the first experimental livestreaming of a commission hearing from a Nebraska trial court.

The hearing, which began at 10:30 a.m., allowed Nebraskans to remotely view the interviews of seven applicants vying for the position of district judge in the Ninth Judicial District. Justice Cassel, who chairs the Commission, emphasized the importance of transparency and awareness of the judicial selection process while clarifying that public participation would not be permitted via the livestream. He also noted that any technical difficulties might lead to interruptions in the livestream, though the in-person hearing in Courtroom #1 would proceed uninterrupted.

This pilot project builds on a precedent set in October 2024, when the Commission hearing for Nebraska’s Chief Justice was livestreamed from the Supreme Court chamber via Nebraska Public Media. However, the January session at Buffalo County Courthouse represents the first time a trial court has hosted such an effort.

The goal of this pilot is to increase awareness of Judicial Nominating Commission hearings and provide a way for Nebraskans to view and hear the proceedings using the technology already in place in our courtrooms. The Kearney pilot is a collaborative effort involving the Buffalo County District Court Clerk’s Office, Buffalo County’s IT department, and the Nebraska Judicial Branch IT team.

As part of the Nebraska Supreme Court’s ongoing commitment to transparency, the success of this pilot project may pave the way for broader adoption of livestream technology, offering greater accessibility to judicial proceedings regardless of location.

Photo: Upper left, Justice William Cassel chairs the Judicial Nominating Commission hearing. Upper right, Sarah Hinrichs, first applicant to speak at the hearing, addresses commissioners. Lower two photos, members of the Judicial Nominating Commission listen to testimony during the public hearing.