Judge Paul Merritt Jr., Lincoln, former district court judge in Lancaster County, died Monday, February 27, 2023, in New York where he relocated following retirement. Merritt also served as judge of the Lancaster County Adult Drug Court beginning in 2005. Merritt took the bench in 1988 and served...

Post-release supervision navigators, Neha Saxena, Tammy Kratochvil, Karen Foster, Lorena Gutierrez, and Suzanne Kusy, whose work is guided by § 6-1904, consistently work to bridge the gap of uncertainty for individuals returning to Nebraska communities following periods of incarceration. The...

A special session of the Supreme Court will be held honoring former Supreme Court Justice Michael McCormack on Friday, May 19, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in the Nebraska Supreme Court Chamber of the State Capitol. McCormack died on May 9, 2022. In 1997 McCormack was appointed by Governor Ben Nelson to the...

The Douglas County Veterans Treatment Court celebrated the graduation of Tim Reznicek on March 2, 2022, at the Omaha-Douglas Civic Center in Omaha with family, friends, local community members, and local veterans. Veterans Treatment Court Judge Horacio Wheelock presided over the ceremony. Lieutenant...

Awarded to: John Friend, Douglas County District Court The Marjorie Schaffer Memorial Award recognizes commendable performance by a clerk of a district court. Recipients exhibit exemplary leadership, effective guidance of change, achievement of sustainable results, or strength in coaching and...

The Nebraska Supreme Court held arguments at UNL College of Law on March 2, 2023, where justices heard three cases in the school’s courtroom. The argument session was followed by a question-and-answer session with students focused on the elements of a good brief and effective oral argument. Watch...

Catch Chief Justice Heavican's State of the Judiciary address in your podcast feed by subscribing to Your Nebraska Judicial Branch. Available on all major podcast platforms, or on the web at: https://nejudicial.buzzsprout.com/.

Awarded to: Kurt Stevens, Dawson County Probation The Bob Keller Memorial Award recognizes exceptional performance by a probation supervisor. Recipients exhibit exemplary leadership, effective guidance of change, achievement of sustainable results, or strength in coaching and mentoring. Kurt Steven...

Nebraska’s quarterly vacancy report prompted a news story in the Nebraska Examiner outlining staff shortages in the Judicial Branch. The article uses Omaha County Court as an example and discusses Branch efforts to recruit employees and compensate employees effectively. Read Nebraska Examiner...

The Sarpy County Adult Court celebrated graduation at the County Courthouse in Papillion. Judge Stefanie Martinez presided over the February 6, 2023, ceremony. The ceremony marks the completion of an intensive program of comprehensive drug treatment, close supervision, and full accountability for...