(A) Credentialing. The Office of Public Information shall create, manage, and maintain an administrative process for issuance of credentials and maintaining a list of those in good standing with these rules. Credentials will be issued to journalists who write for newspapers or magazines with regular frequency of publication or prepare news to be broadcast on radio or television licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. In order to be credentialed, a journalist must successfully complete a review concerning these rules. Issued credentials shall expire two (2) years after the date of issuance. It will be the responsibility of the news media person to maintain current credential certification and comply with these rules in order to remain in good standing. 

   (1) The Office of Public Information shall maintain a list of those having been issued credentials and their status.

   (2) If the Public Information Officer determines the credentialed news media person is no longer in good standing, the news media person’s credentials may be suspended or revoked by the Public Information Officer. Those who have been suspended or revoked credentials by the Office of Public Information must reapply for credentialing before being eligible to apply for expanded news media coverage.

   (3)  If the journalist is no longer employed by the news media organization he or she was so affiliated at the time of most recent credentialing, the credential shall be deemed expired from the date of last employment or notification to the Office of Public Information.

   (4) If the news media person has failed to timely renew credentialing, such credentials shall be expired. Those with expired credentials must apply for renewal of credentials.

   (B) News media coordinator. News media coordinators are appointed by the Nebraska Supreme Court. The judicial officer and all members of the media shall work, whenever possible, with and through the appropriate news media coordinator regarding all arrangements for expanded news media coverage. The Nebraska Supreme Court will designate the jurisdiction of each news media coordinator. In the event a news media coordinator is not available for a particular proceeding, the judicial officer may deny expanded news media coverage or may temporarily appoint a news media representative to serve as the news media coordinator for the proceeding.

   (C) Advance notice of coverage.

   (1) All requests for expanded news media coverage in all proceedings, except initial appearances in criminal cases in county court (see § 6-2003(E)), shall be made to the news media coordinator. The request must be in written form, using the forms approved by the Administrative Office of the Nebraska Supreme Court and filed with the clerk of the court where the proceedings are pending. No applicant to provide expanded media coverage shall so apply unless he or she is in good standing with these administrative credentials.

   The request shall be filed at least seven business days in advance of the first proceeding in which expanded media coverage is requested. If the judicial proceeding is scheduled sooner than seven business days before the request, notice of the request shall be given as soon as practicable. An approved request for expanded media coverage of all proceedings along with all subsequent permissible proceedings (within that particular level of the court system) is authorized without additional notice subject to the court’s determination that there is good cause to limit or terminate coverage for a particular hearing. If the case moves to a different level of the court system (e.g., from county court to district court), a new request for expanded news media coverage must be submitted in the new court of jurisdiction.

   (2) The request for coverage shall be entered into the JUSTICE system by court staff using the assigned code. Requests are delivered to all parties and the judicial officer assigned to the case using the automated system.

   (3) Requests and notices shall be given using the forms approved by the Administrative Office of the Nebraska Supreme Court.

   (D) Objections to expanded news media coverage.

   (1) A party to a proceeding, except an initial appearance in a criminal case in county court (see § 6-2003(E)), objecting to the request for expanded news media coverage must file a written objection using forms approved by the Administrative Office of the Nebraska Supreme Court.

   The objection shall be filed at least three days before commencement of the proceeding. When the proceeding is not scheduled at least seven business days in advance, the objecting party must give notice of the objection as soon as practicable after the proceeding is scheduled.

   (2) A copy of the objection shall be sent electronically, delivered by ordinary mail, or delivered in person to the last known contact of all attorneys of record, parties appearing without attorney representation, Supreme Court Information Officer, the appropriate court administrator, and the judicial officer expected to preside at the proceeding for which expanded news media coverage is requested.

   (3) Rulings on timely objections shall be made by the judicial officer prior to the commencement of the proceedings or as reasonably practical. The objecting party may be afforded an opportunity to present evidence by affidavit.

   The judicial officer may rule on an objection on the basis of the written objection alone or on the combination of the written objection and the affidavits presented as evidence in the form of attachments to the objection.

   (4) The deadline for filing of objections may be modified in the discretion of the judicial officer.

   (5) The granting or denial of the objection to expanded news media coverage is a nonappealable temporary injunction or suspension of expanded news media coverage.

§ 6-2004 adopted December 21, 2016, effective March 1, 2017; § 6-2004(B) amended June 24, 2020; § 6-2004 amended March 10, 2021; § 6-2004(C)(2) amended January 18, 2023.