Court Reporter Sonya Kennedy and Douglas County District Court Judge Gary Randall work with Christine Christopherson and Greg Sunderman of the Judicial Branch Education team to develop an online course for court reporting personnel, judges, and court staff outlining efficient ways to share evidence with news reporters during the pendency of a trial. The course will be launched in fall 2018.

On Friday, June 1, the Nebraska Court Improvement Project (CIP) hosted the summer gathering of the Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts at the Judicial Branch Education facility on Central Park Drive. The Honorable Doug Johnson, Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court and the newly appointed, Honorable Francie Riedmann, Nebraska Court of Appeals presided over the commission meeting.

A swearing-in ceremony for Sharmin Gonzales as Clerk Magistrate of Buffalo County Court was held June 18, 2018, in the Buffalo County Courthouse in Kearney, Nebraska. Judge John Rademacher opened the ceremony and welcomed guests.  Judge Gerald Jorgensen administered the Clerk Magistrate oath of office and presented Gonzales with her certificate of appointment.

Gonzales has worked for the court system for nearly 24 years in the positions of: Assistant Clerk of Buffalo County Court, County Court Juvenile Specialist, Stenographer, and Records Clerk.

Lively discussions regarding State-Federal judicial cooperation were heard coming from the Reading Room of the Nebraska State Capitol Law Library on Thursday, May 24, 2018. Attendees included Nebraska Supreme Court Justices with Chief U.S. District Judges from Districts of Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Dakota; incoming Chief Judges from Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota; the Chief Judge for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals; along with staff from the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court District of Nebraska.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law Dean Richard Moberly served as keynote speaker for the 2018 Chief Justice’s Leadership Council. Moberly was invited for a discussion of leadership through changing times. He outlined the process that the Law College pursued in developing initiatives in recent years, noting that much was accomplished through reaching out to organizations beyond the College itself. 

Maureen Eck has been named Supreme Court Deputy Librarian of the State Law Library by the Nebraska Supreme Court. Eck has served as the Interim Deputy State Librarian since the retirement of Marie Wiechman in January 2018, and had served as the Library Technician/Assistant providing reference and referral services since April 2014.

A swearing-in ceremony for Myndee Hagan as Clerk Magistrate of Dawson and Gosper Counties was held May 22, 2018, in the Dawson County Courthouse in Lexington, Nebraska. Judge Jeffrey Wightman presided over the ceremony.

Hagan began working with the county court system in 2016 as a records clerk for Gosper County Court. The majority of her professional career has been spent in the County and Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Courts. 

Photo: Myndee Hagan is assisted with her robe by her husband, children and parents.

Supreme Court Justices travelled to Grand Island to hold Law Day events along with an argument session in the Senior High School auditorium on May 4, 2018.

The evening prior to arguments, the Court met with Grand Island, Kearney and Hastings area bar associations to thank lawyers for their community volunteerism and civic engagement during a Law Day reception co-hosted by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation. Following arguments, the Court participated in a luncheon with Grand Island High School Mock Trial Students, members of the school board and select guests.

Following the Supreme Court’s traditional argument session at the Creighton University School of Law on April 5, 2018, the judges packed their robes and headed to Millard North High School for one final argument session.

The Warner Legislative Chamber in the Nebraska State Capitol was standing room only for Supreme Court Justice Jonathan Papik’s investiture on May 7, 2018. Former partners from the Cline Williams Law Firm and residents of Stromsburg, Nebraska, packed the balconies while family, judges and staff filled the main floor.