Judge James Macken, Scottsbluff, County Court judge in the 12th Judicial District, died November 2, 2020, at the age of 91. Macken was first appointed as county judge for Scotts Bluff County in 1969 and elected county judge for the then-seventeenth Judicial District in 1972. His service began before...

Deputy Administrator for Court Services Amy Prenda announced the creation of a new position in the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation. The position, Trial Court Services Director for District Courts, will be part of the Court Services Division and will serve as the primary...

The Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR) has developed an outline of Restorative Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Services, which are available to the Courts. The easy-to-read handout includes a visual timeline of when each service is appropriate. ODR-approved centers provide these services as court...

Julie Schildt, Morrill County Clerk of the District Court in Bridgeport, declined to stand for re-election and will vacate her position as Clerk at the end of the year. Schildt noted, “Life will certainly be different after 30-years of dedication to this office and the people of Morrill County.”...

The Association for Conflict Resolution’s (ACR) 2020 conference, held virtually on October 23, concluded with a member meeting where ACR Board President Michael Rust cut the word “Elect” from Kelly Riley’s badge ribbon to signify that she had become President of the ACR Board of Directors. Nebraska...

Alisha Jimenez, Restorative Justice Program Analyst for the Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR), presented restorative practices during the 2020 Nebraska Community Aid and Juvenile Justice Conference on November 5. Co-presenters Casey Karges, Executive Director, and Clare Nelson, Restorative Justice...

Phyllis J. Obermeyer, Dakota County Clerk of the District Court, died Monday, November 9, 2020. She served as Clerk of the District Court from January 2011 until her death. Prior to her position as Clerk, Obermeyer worked as a records clerk in the Dakota County Court from December 31, 2010, until...

Chris Hepburn, Network Administrator and Security Officer for the Judicial Branch has been awarded the Southeast Community College Distinguished Alumni award for 2020. In a ceremony held in the Court of Appeals courtroom, Theresa Webster, Assistant Campus Director, presented Chris with the annual...

Beginning November 1 and throughout the month, Nebraska state trial courts are asking those who use court services to participate in a survey regarding accessibility and fairness. The survey is available in English and Spanish. Links to the surveys are: English Spanish Nebraska’s trial judges and...

As Presiding Judge for the Separate Juvenile Court in Douglas County during the initial round of Covid-19 last spring, Judge Chad Brown took the lead in coordinating his Court’s response to the pandemic. From actively organizing meetings on the identification of essential hearings to reviewing...