District 8

District 8

District Eight is comprised of the following counties: Blaine, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Custer, Garfield, Greeley, Holt, Howard, Loup, Keya Paha, Rock, Sherman, Valley, and Wheeler.

Horizontal Tabs

Court Clerks
Court Clerks
District Court
Clerk County Address Phone Fax Website

April Wescott

Blaine
145 Lincoln Avenue
Brewster, Nebraska 68821
308-547-2222 308-547-2228 Website

Tracy Reiser

Boyd
P.O. Box 26
Butte, Nebraska 68722
402-775-2391 402-775-2146 Website

Travis (Travee) Hobbs

Brown
148 West 4th Street
Ainsworth, Nebraska 69210
402-387-2705 402-387-0918 Website

Lorana Eggert

Cherry
365 North Main Street
Valentine, Nebraska 69201
402-376-1840 402-376-3830 Website

Amy Oxford

Custer
604 Heritage Drive
Broken Bow, Nebraska 68822
308-872-2121 308-872-5826 Website

Keri Koenigsberg

Garfield
P.O. Box 218
Burwell, Nebraska 68823
308-346-4161 308-346-4651 Website

Michelle Soto

Greeley
P.O. Box 287
Greeley, Nebraska 68842
308-428-2705 308-428-3022 Website

Junior Young

Holt
P.O. Box 755
O'Neill, Nebraska 68763
402-336-2840 402-336-3601 Website

Lisa Johnson

Howard
P.O. Box 47
St. Paul, Nebraska 68873
308-754-4192 308-754-4727 Website

Suzy Wentworth

Keya Paha
P.O. Box 349
Springview, Nebraska 68778
402-497-3791 402-497-3799 Website

Deb Hansen

Loup
P.O. Box 187
Taylor, Nebraska 68879
308-942-6035 308-942-3103 Website

Daunitta Buoy

Rock
P.O. Box 367
Bassett, Nebraska 68714
402-684-3933 402-684-2741 Website

Marcy Sekutera

Sherman
P.O. Box 456
Loup City, Nebraska 68853
308-745-1513 308-745-0157 Website

Lisa Bower

Valley
125 South 15th Street
Ord, Nebraska 68862
308-728-3831 308-728-7725 Website

Cara Snider

Wheeler
3rd and Main Street
P.O. Box 127
Bartlett, Nebraska 68622
308-654-3235 308-654-3176 Website
County Court
Clerk County Address Phone Fax Website

Cristin Fay

Blaine
145 Lincoln Avenue
Brewster, Nebraska 68821
308-547-2222 308-547-2228 Website

Cathy Reiman

Boyd
Box 396 Thayer Street
Butte, Nebraska 68722
402-775-2211 402-775-2211

Roxanne Philben

Brown
148 West 4th Street
Ainsworth, Nebraska 69210
402-387-2864 402-382-3374

Michaela Hobbs

Cherry
365 North Main Street
Valentine, Nebraska 69201
402-376-2590 402-376-5942

Debra Hansen

Custer
604 Heritage Drive
Broken Bow, Nebraska 68822
308-872-5761 308-872-6052

Bert Meschke

Garfield
250 South 8th
P.O. Box 431
Burwell, Nebraska 68823
308-346-4123 308-346-4069

Michelle Soto

Greeley
P.O. Box 302
Greeley, Nebraska 68842
308-428-2705 308-428-6500

Laura Reynoldson

Holt
204 North 4th Street
O'Neill, Nebraska 68763
402-336-1662 402-336-1663

Lisa Johnson

Howard
612 Indian Street
Suite #6
St. Paul, Nebraska 68873
308-754-4192 308-754-4727 Website

Roxanne Philben

Keya Paha
P.O. Box 349
Springview, Nebraska 68778
402-497-3021 402-497-3799

Debra Hansen

Loup
P.O. Box 146
Taylor, Nebraska 68873
308-942-6035 308-946-7756

Cathy Reiman

Rock
P.O. Box 249
Bassett, Nebraska 68714
402-684-3601 402-684-2741

Janelle Mostek

Sherman
P.O. Box 55
Loup City, Nebraska 68853
308-745-1513 308-745-1510

Lisa Bower

Valley
125 South 15th Street
Ord, Nebraska 68862
308-728-3831 308-728-7725

Bert Meschke

Wheeler
1st and Main
P.O. Box 127
Bartlett, Nebraska 68622
308-654-3376 308-654-3176
Judges
Judges
District Court
Brown
P.O. Box 225
Ainsworth, NE 69210
Phone: (402) 387-2162
Fax: (402) 387-0918
Howard
P.O. Box 74
St. Paul, NE 68873
Phone: (308) 754-4148
Fax: (308) 754-4727
County Court
Holt
204 N 4th Street
O'Neill, NE 68763
Phone: (402) 336-1662
Fax: (402) 336-1663
Cherry
365 N Main
Valentine, NE 69201
Phone: (402) 376-2590
Fax: (402) 376-5942
Custer
604 Heritage Drive
Broken Bow, NE 68822
Phone: (308) 872-5761
Fax: (308) 872-6052
Probation Offices
Probation Offices

Tara Sprigler-Price
Chief Probation Officer
District 8

 

Probation Office (Home Office)
District: 8
Chief Probation Officer:
128 N. 6th Street #4
O'Neill, Nebraska 68763
Fax: (402) 336-2594
Phone: (402) 336-2594
Public Guardians
Public Guardians

Public Guardian districts are distinct from judicial and probation districts. Please find the Associate Public Guardian serving your area below.

Office of Public Guardian Advisory Council

The Office of Public Guardian (OPG) is assisted by an Advisory Council, appointed by the Administrator of the Courts, to advise the Public Guardian on the administration of public guardianships and conservatorships.  Members of the Advisory Council, are comprised of individuals from a variety of disciplines, knowledgeable about guardianship and conservatorship, representative of the geographical and cultural diversity of the state, and reflect gender fairness.

Corey R. Steel

Corey R. Steel
Corey R. Steel

Corey R. Steel was appointed State Court Administrator on May 2, 2014, to oversee the administrative operations of the statewide court system. The State Court Administrator plans for statewide Judicial Branch needs, develops and promotes statewide administrative practices and procedures, oversees the operation of trial court programs and strategic initiatives, and serves as a liaison with other branches of government. Prior to his appointment, he served in the capacity of Deputy Probation Administrator for Juvenile Services.  He played an active role in providing information to the Legislature regarding juvenile justice reform and coordination of state wide juvenile probation services.  Throughout his employment, Steel has been heavily engaged in the transformation of Probation’s Juvenile Justice System. Serving in a leadership capacity, he was and remains involved in the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI), the Cross-Over Youth Practice Model, and the Juvenile Information Sharing Project. In addition to holding a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska – Kearney and a Master’s in Business Management from Doane College, he also holds two certifications from the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare and serves as an adjunct professor for Southeast Community College teaching Juvenile Justice, Criminal Justice, and Sociology.

Dianne DeLair

Dianne DeLair
Dianne DeLair

Dianne DeLair is the senior staff attorney with Disability Rights Nebraska, the designated Protection and Advocacy system for the state of Nebraska. Ms. DeLair’s practice is devoted entirely to address abuse, neglect, and discrimination based on disability. She has represented individuals with disabilities for over 17 years in state and federal court. She has also represented individuals in county court guardianship matters, and administrative appeals.

Judge Todd Hutton

Judge Todd Hutton
Judge Todd Hutton

Representing the County Judge role is Judge Todd Hutton, Omaha. Judge Hutton represents the 2nd Judicial District of Cass, Otoe & Sarpy counties in Nebraska. Todd Hutton attended the University of Miami where he received his Bachelor of Science. He then went on to further his education at the Creighton University School of Law where he received his Juris Doctorate. He was sworn in to be a Sarpy County Court Judge in 1998. Prior to becoming a judge, Todd Hutton worked as a lawyer in the Omaha area for 8 years. Judge Hutton serves on many committees and organizations in the community. He currently is co-chair of the Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Guardianships and Conservatorships.

Russ Leavitt

Russ Leavitt
Russ Leavitt

Russ Leavitt is among the original 11 members of the Public Guardian Advisory Council selected by the Supreme Court Administrator to assist and support the Public Guardian in the early, arduous process of implementing the law by creating policies and procedures, and filtering the many logistical issues as the Public Guardian and his staff, worked toward and achieved operational ability. As one of the At-Large members of the Council, he will be serving his second appointment. Russ also continues to serve on the Supreme Court Commission on Guardianship and Conservatorship, and serves on three subcommittees (Executive, Public Guardian and Protection of Vulnerable Adults) as part of this commission. Mr. Leavitt is a graduate of Creighton University, BSBA, with a Major in Accounting. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Finance and Technology and Co-owner at General Service Bureau and Early Out Services, Omaha NE.

Lisa Line

Lisa Line
Lisa Line

Lisa Line is a partner with Brodkey, Peebles, Belmont and Line in Omaha. Ms. Line’s primary areas of practice includes Probate, Estate, and Trust Planning and Administration; and Administrative Law, including Social Security Disability, Medicare and Medicaid. She assists families through estate planning and asset transfer issues; works with families during the probate or trust administration process; acts as a Court appointed Special Administrator, Guardian ad Litem, or Guardian/Conservator in probate, trust or guardianship/conservatorship actions; represents individuals in the legal process to determine entitlement for benefits; works with families of individuals with disabilities through the estate planning process, which includes both third party special needs trusts and self-settled special needs trusts; and advises Bank Trustees in the administration of special needs trusts, approval of expenditures and reporting to various agencies.

Julie Masters, PhD

Julie Masters, PhD
Julie Masters, PhD

Julie Masters, PhD, is professor and chair of the department of Gerontology at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She also is the Terry Haney Chair of Gerontology. Dr. Masters teaches courses on death and dying on the Omaha and Lincoln campuses. In addition, she oversees the activities of the department on the Omaha, Lincoln and online campuses. In addition to her research on end of life planning, Dr. Masters conducts research on healthy aging, caregiving and aging inmates.

Darla Schiefelbein

Darla Schiefelbein
Darla Schiefelbein

Darla Schiefelbein, Clerk Magistrate, Platte County Court represents an At Large Member of the Advisory Council. She graduated from Wayne State College in 1981, with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Human Services Counseling and Sociology. Ms. Schiefelbein began employment with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services from 1981-1994 working in several caseload areas: Food Stamps, Aid to Dependent Children, Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled and preparing home studies for Adoption and Foster Care. She was appointed as Clerk Magistrate of the Platte County Court in 1994 until the present. Ms. Schiefelbein supervises six staff in the court and is responsible for the court caseload and progression. She also audits Guardian/Conservator cases for Sarpy and Hall Counties. Ms. Schiefelbein was appointed to the Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Guardianships and Conservatorships in 2012. In 2013 she was selected to be one of three Guardian/Conservator Specialists for the state; serving as a resource for county court staff in Nebraska. The goals of the specialists are to work to insure uniformity among the courts and to improve process and forms used for Guardianships and Conservatorships.

Beth Baxter

Beth Baxter
Beth Baxter

Bio coming soon!

Michelle J. Chaffee

Michelle J. Chaffee
Michelle J. Chaffee

The Supreme Court Administrator is responsible for appointing a director of the OPG known as the Public Guardian. The Public Guardian shall be an attorney hired based on a broad knowledge of human development, intellectual disabilities, sociology, and psychology and shall have business acuity and experience in public education and volunteer recruitment.

The Supreme Court Administrator, with the confirmation by Nebraska Supreme Court, appointed Michelle J. Chaffee as Public Guardian in December 2014. Previous to appointment as Public Guardian, Ms. Chaffee was Legal Counsel for the Health and Human Services Committee at the Nebraska Legislature. As Legal Counsel for the Health and Human Services Committee she was involved in multiple issues involving social services including long term care, Medicaid, health care, developmental disabilities, behavioral health, legal processes and procedures and licensure. She worked with a wide array of professionals including state, local and county officials, the judiciary, County attorneys, private attorneys, provider networks, facility administrators, caregivers, social service advocates, as well as the individuals who depend on Nebraska social services to provide care and support- children, juveniles, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly. As Legal Counsel she supported the Health and Human Services Committee and Chairs, Senators Tim Gay and Kathy Campbell, as they designed policies and programs to serve vulnerable citizens of Nebraska.

Prior to the Legislature, Ms. Chaffee spent ten years in higher education administration. In addition to her experiences as Legal Counsel to the Health and Human Services Committee and in higher education administration, Ms. Chaffee practiced law and utilized her law degree in a variety of different state governmental agencies. She served in the Nebraska Legislature as Legislative Aide to Senators Gene Tyson and Mike Avery. During law school she interned for the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, in the Child Protection and Drug Enforcement Division. Additionally, as a Senior Law Clerk, she researched pre-trial diversion guidelines for the Office of Juvenile Services in the Nebraska Crime Commission. Upon graduation from UNL College of Law, Ms. Chaffee served as an attorney at Legal Aid, focusing on representing the needs of indigent individuals in civil court. As an attorney in private practice, she specialized as a Guardian ad Litem representing the needs of abused and neglected children in Juvenile Court.  Prior to attending law school, Ms. Chaffee served for a number of years as a 7-12th grade English and History teacher in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Texas.

Marla Fischer

Marla Fischer
Marla Fischer

The Deputy Public Guardian, Marla Fischer, was hired in January 2015. Ms. Fischer received her Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska, College of Law in 2004 and was licensed to practice law in Nebraska that same year. Since that time, she has held several positions and years of experience in advocating for and with people with disabilities and their families. Prior to coming to the Office of Public Guardian, Marla served as an Assistant Ombudsman with the Nebraska Office of Public Counsel where she addressed concerns of Nebraskans who experienced individual and systemic difficulties with programs administered by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Before Marla was with the Office of Public Counsel, she was the Executive Director for The Arc of Nebraska for five years. In this position, she provided support to thirteen local Arc chapters across Nebraska; provided advocacy in written and verbal testimony on proposed legislation within the Nebraska Unicameral in collaboration with other disability organizations; and provided information, ideas on problem solving, and action on statewide issues affecting the lives of people with developmental disabilities. In 2012, Marla joined the Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Guardianships and Conservatorships. Marla was also the Public Information Attorney with Disability Rights Nebraska for four years, where she gained experience in developing informational materials for people with disabilities, family members, and interested citizens. She also provided several successful trainings on various topics pertinent to the lives of people with disabilities. She is experienced in the areas of individual and systems level advocacy and has successfully collaborated with other organizations and agencies on many occasions.

Problem-Solving Courts
Problem-Solving Courts

North Central Problem-Solving Court (North)
204 N. 4th Street
O'Neill
402-340-3461

North Central Problem-Solving Court (South)
604 Heritage Drive
Broken Bow
402-340-3461