Students from St. Michael’s Catholic School in Albion greeted justices of the Nebraska Supreme Court with patriotic songs before leading the adults in the Pledge of Allegiance. Judge Rachel Daugherty noted in her opening remarks that not a single day of court was missed in Albion when the spring floods washed out roads leading into town.  Judge Stephen Twiss assisted Judge Daugherty in providing a tour of the facilities. Chief Justice Heavican thanked the students and all who came to join the Court for breakfast in the courthouse. 

Boyd County Clerk of the District Court Tracy Reiser and Clerk Magistrate Cathy Reiman accepted awards on behalf of their respective courts for maintaining court services throughout the natural disasters afflicting Butte, Nebraska earlier this spring. Resilience Awards were presented to the district and county courts for their dedication to their communities following the 2019 historic floods. Despite the lack of electricity and consumable water, the courts were closed only one and one-half days throughout the ordeal. 

Ex-officio Clerk of the District Court Dave Sullivan greeted guests at the Hooker County courthouse in Mullen with Clerk Magistrate Brenda Cochran. Sullivan recognized the spirit of cooperation between court offices which allows for flexibility and efficiency between the county and district courts. Six of the seven Supreme Court justices were in attendance along with Judicial Branch administrative staff.

Sherman County Courthouse welcomed the Supreme Court and administrative staff at 9:30 a.m. on August 13, 2019. Clerk Magistrate Janelle Mostek prepared breakfast on the landing of the second floor before taking the group on a tour of the third floor courtroom. The Chief Justice took the opportunity to thank the county commissioners in attendance for their dedication to the court system noting, “County courthouses are often the pride of their community and this county is no exception.

The 2019 Chief Justice’s Summer Tour began with a visit to the Jefferson County Courthouse in Fairbury on August 12, 2019. Judge Linda Bauer and her staff welcomed the group following a WebEx appearance by Judge Curt Maschman. Clerk Magistrate Tammie Duensing hosted the group with Clerk of the District Court Shawna Taylor and Chief Probation Officer Jeremy Behrends. County Commissioners discussed their county programming and talked about technology with court members and administrative staff.

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In honor of Constitution Day, the Nebraska Court of Appeals will convene on the campus of Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska on September 10.

The Court of Appeals will divide into its customary two panels with three judges each to hold arguments at 9:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. at the Thom Leadership Education Center Auditorium (212 College Avenue).

Tuesday, October 8, 2019 – Save this date on your calendar for the Nebraska Supreme Court Attorney Services Division Fall CLE Program. The program will be held at the Embassy Suite-La Vista Conference Center beginning at 1 pm and will include at least one hour of professional responsibility/ethics credit. Agenda items include: attorney ethics & Bitcoin usage, the Family First Act impact on juvenile court practice, a probation update, overview of self-represented litigant resources and court and rules updates.

The Nebraska Supreme Court has appointed Theodore “Ted” Arndt as the second statewide Child Support Referee for the Judicial Branch.  Arndt is currently a staff attorney for YoungWilliams P.C., a nationwide provider of contact centers and child support services. Additionally, he serves as adjunct professor at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha. He has worked as a law clerk at both Welsh & Welsh in Omaha and for the Douglas County Attorney. Arndt brings over a dozen years of child support enforcement experience with him to the referee’s office.

At a ceremony held at the Capitol on July 16, 2019, Governor Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation recognizing Community Corrections Week July 21-27, 2019.

An eleven hundred mile trip involving stops in 24 counties is on the agenda for this year’s Chief Justice Summer Tour. Each year Chief Justice Heavican dedicates several days to traveling to courthouses outside of the Lincoln area to meet with judicial branch staff, tour courtrooms, and learn about individual projects. Again this year, several associate judges of the Supreme Court are joining the tour that will take them on a trek through Nebraska’s central corridor (see map).