Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative
Helping Babies from the Bench
Registration is open for Helping Babies from the Bench, a series of six (6) trainings led by Judge Douglas Johnson of the Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court which focus on the 0-3 years of age population in the child welfare system and how courts can ensure the best outcomes for babies and toddlers.  The series kicks off in Ogallala on October 10, 2008, and continues into 2009.  To view an agenda from a previous Helping Babies from the Bench training or to register, click here.

Guardian Ad Litem Training
Basic mandatory GAL training is now available online; click here for registration information. Once all parts of the online training have been completed and an Online Training Completion form submitted, the guardian ad litem will be added to the Nebraska Supreme Court list of trained guardians ad litem.

Lecture Series on Video
Video from the 2008 Lecture Series is now available here for free viewing. Presentations include: Visitation for Children Placed Out of Home, Helping Babies from the Bench, and Getting the Most Out of Psychological Evaluations in the Child Welfare Court System.

Contact Kelli Hauptman, Staff Attorney, Center on Children, Families and the Law, 402-472-3927, khauptman2@unlnotes.unl.edu.

Foster Care Review Board Celebrates Anniversary
On September 28, 2008, the Nebraska Foster Care Review Board celebrated its 25-year anniversary with a dinner event in Lincoln.  The event began with a welcome by Senator Tom Hansen of North Platte and Judge John Icenogle of Kearney.  The evening program recounted the history of the board from its creation in 1982 and recognized the efforts of hundreds of citizens who volunteer their time to help children in foster care.

Judges honored for their contributions were:  Chief Justice Mike Heavican; Separate Juvenile Court Judges Doug Johnson, Liz Crnkovich and Linda Porter; County Judges Gerald Rouse, Ken Vampola and Jean Lovell.

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Information Gathered Through the Press Clipping Service

Nebraska grapples with diversity's pressure on courts
The walk from Adriana Hinojosa’s tiny office to Courtroom 28 is short, but she still keeps a brisk pace.

“Hola. Buenos Dias,” she repeats as she passes the familiar faces of public defenders, prosecutors and others who line the hallways and spill into the rotunda of the Douglas County Courthouse.

As one of just 21 certified foreign language court interpreters in the state and with a workload that has more than doubled in the last decade, Hinojosa can’t afford to linger.

Nebraska judicial leaders say much the same as they grapple with a quickly diversifying population and their constitutional responsibility to provide all people — regardless the language they speak — equal access and due process in the state’s courts.

All states are dealing with the shortage of court interpreters, say those working to address the problems. But the challenges may have crept up more quickly in states like Nebraska, whose populations, until recently, have not been diverse — the same areas that don’t yet have ample pools from which to select qualified interpreters.

To read the full article, click into the Lincoln Journal Star Web site: http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/09/28/news/nebraska/doc48dff57203909176860173.txt#cancel

A look at languages used in Nebraska courts
The following is a list of foreign languages for which the Nebraska Supreme Court provided interpreters in 2007:  Spanish, Vietnamese, Arab, Nuer, Somali, Bosnian, Russian, Dinka, Laotian, Chinese, French, Korean, Thai, Polish.

Source: Nebraska Supreme Court

Lincoln Journal Star, September 28, 2008

Contact Janet Bancroft, Public Information Officer, 402-471-3205, janet.bancroft@nebraska.gov.

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New Probation Personnel
Katrina Roste, Probation Officer, District #5, Papillion, effective September 2, 2008.
Amber Nore, AmeriCorps Program Specialist, District #3, Seward, effective September 2, 2008.
Nicole Olson, AmeriCorps Program Specialist, District #2, Norfolk, effective September 12, 2008.
Natalie Rosno, AmeriCorps Program Specialist, District #2, Norfolk, effective September 12, 2008.
Kim Schnitzer, SSAS Probation Officer, District #5, Nebraska City, effective September 15, 2008.
Rebecca Miranda, AmeriCorps Program Specialist, District #16, South Sioux City, effective September 22, 2008.
Victoria Gray, AmeriCorps Program Specialist, District #10, Gering, effective September 25, 2008.
Timothy Mcquillan, AmeriCorps Program Specialist, District #7, Hastings, effective October 1, 2008.
Courtney Johnston, Case Monitor, District #9, North Platte, effective October 1, 2008.
Christine Mead, Juvenile Probation Officer, District #20, Lincoln, effective October 6, 2008.
Rebecca Bay, Probation Officer, District #9, Ogallala, effective October 20, 2008.

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Committees
Judicial Resources Commission
The Judicial Resources Commission will hold its annual meeting Thursday, October 16, 2008, at 9:30 a.m., central time. Click here to view the full press release.

Judicial Ethics Committee
The Judicial Ethics Committee has released an opinion addressing the following question: "May a judge attend a dinner and speak during a program celebrating a State board’s service to the citizens of Nebraska?"

Click here to read the opinion.

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Open Enrollment
October 20, 2008 – November 17, 2008
Open enrollment for 2009 benefits will be held from October 20, 2008 – November 17, 2008.  Employees will have to re-enroll in the benefits wanted.  Current dependents and beneficiaries will remain in the system and will not need to be re-entered this year.

Blue Cross Blue Shield will be the only health insurance carrier for 2009.  The options will be Blue Choice, Blue Select, PPO and High Deductible PPO.  The new rates have not been communicated yet.

A new pharmacy plan carrier will be providing benefits this year. 

Life insurance will continue to be with Mutual of Omaha.  There will be two new options of 4 and 5 times annual salary.  During open enrollment employees will only be able to increase one increment from their current level, i.e., from 3 times annual to 4 times annual.  The rates will be lower for individuals under the age of 60.

There will be no changes to the dental, vision or long-term disability plans this year.

Employees will be receiving an open enrollment newsletter outlining the changes prior to the start of open enrollment as well as an "Open Enrollment Options Guide."

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Supreme Court Rule Amendments
Briefing Rule for the Appellate Courts
The Nebraska Supreme Court recently amended subsection (h) of Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109(D)(1) to include the following requirement:  “The appellant’s brief must contain, under appropriate headings, a summary of the argument, which must contain a succinct, clear, and accurate statement of the arguments made in the body of the brief and which must not merely repeat the argument headings.  The appellee’s brief may contain such summary. . . .”  This new requirement has an effective date of January 1, 2009. Click here to view the future rule amendment.

Ct. R. Pldg. §§ 6-1109 and 6-1111: Pleading special matters. Click here to view the rule amendment.

-and-

Neb. Ct. R. of Prof. Cond. §§ 3-501.2 and 3-504.2: Scope of representation and allocation of authority between client and lawyer. Click here to view the rule amendment.

Limited Scope Rule Passed
At the request of the Supreme Court Pro Se Committee, a rule regarding a lawyer’s ability to formally limit the scope of his or her representation of a client has been adopted by the Supreme Court. The rule, located in the Code of Professional Conduct, can be utilized if the limitation is reasonable in the lawyer’s judgment under the circumstances, and it provides for the entry of a limited appearance in a case.

Click here to review the rule change.

Nebraska State Bar Association Dues
Neb. Ct. R. § 3-803(D)(1), State Bar Association; Creation; Control; and Regulation: § 3-803. Membership. (D) Dues. Click here to view the rule.

Corrections to County Court Rules
Ct. R. § 6-1464: Protection of personal and financial information in court records. Click here to view the rule amendment.

Judgment Interest Rate
Effective October 16, 2008, the judgment interest rate will be 3.574%.

These changes are also incorporated into the full set of rules listed below the rule amendments section on the web page.  All rule changes/additions are available at: www.supremecourt.ne.gov/rules/index.shtml

 If these links do not work from this email, you may use the "Supreme Court Rules" link under "Quick Links" on the right-hand side of the page.

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Information Technology and JUSTICE
E-Payment
E-Payment has processed over 9,000 transactions in its first year collecting over $1,237,605.33 and has been utilized in 89 county courts through September 18, 2008. The system is averaging over 50 payments per day and the average amount collected is around $132.00 including the $2.25 convenience fee.           

Contact Bill Miller, Deputy Administrator, 402-471-3049, bill.miller@nebraska.gov.

Judicial Branch Education
Confirmations have been sent out to those who have properly registered for the upcoming October 7-8, 2008, education meeting which is the second step in the Court Management Certification program.  If you did not receive a confirmation, please contact JBE immediately to insure we have space reserved for you at the conference.

The Summit of Supreme Court Justices from the Midwest region will be held in Nebraska City October 2-4, 2008.  JBE is hosting an education event which brings together nearly all of the Supreme Court justices from Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.  They will be joined by other justices from Minnesota and North Dakota. 

One hundred-twenty clerk magistrates and clerks of the district court have registered for the conference October 7-8, 2008, in Omaha.   County court stenographers will meet October 15, 2008, for a day of education which leads to the Fall judges meeting beginning October 22, 2008.

A new employee orientation will be held in Lincoln on December 9, 2008.  Please watch for the notice of the opening of registration for the event.  Supervisors of  all new employees that have not been to orientation since January 2007 should try to make arrangements for attendance.

2009 Education Dates Set
The schedule has been set for the following 2009 education meetings. Additional meeting dates will be provided when they are available.

• District Judges, Court Reporters and Clerks of the District Court: June 2-4, 2009, Kearney
• County Judges: June 24-26, 2009, Grand Island
• Fall Judges' Meeting: October 14-16, 2009, Omaha

  Contact Carole McMahon-Boies, Director, JBE, 402-471-3072, carole.mcmahon-boies@nebraska.gov.

Trial Court Services
Sign Interpreter Assistance
Nebraska sign interpreter Maureen Larsen is now the contact person for courts needing to arrange sign interpreters in the courts/probation.  Ms. Larsen has agreed to assist the courts in scheduling the most qualified sign interpreter(s) available for all court and probation needs. Email your sign interpreter needs to Maureen.Larsen@nebraska.gov.  Ms. Larsen, who was recently awarded her national certification for sign interpreting in the courts, will also assist in recruiting licensed and qualified sign interpreters for areas of the state where they are currently unavailable, and will work with the AOC toward remote access to sign interpreters for brief non-evidentiary hearings.

Contact Sheryl Connolly, Trial Court Services Director, 402-471-2671, sheryl.connolly@nebraska.gov.

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Judicial Branch Education Meetings/Trainings
For a complete listing of Judicial Branch Education offerings, click here.

Contact Carole McMahon-Boies, Director, JBE, 402-471-3072, carole.mcmahon-boies@nebraska.gov.

Probation Education Meetings/Trainings
For a complete listing of Judicial Branch Education offerings, click here.

Contact Monica Miles-Steffens, Probation Education Manager, 402-471-4486, monica.miles-steffens@nebraska.gov.

Upcoming 2008 State Holidays
October 13, Columbus Day
November 11, Veteran's Day
November 27 – 28, Thanksgiving Day & Friday following
December 25, Christmas Day

Filing and Reporting Requirements
•Statement for Payment of Interpreters: Interpreters to submit this between the 1st and 7th day of each month.
• Judges’ Cases Under Advisement Reports: Due by the 5th day of each month (reports are compiled and submitted to the Supreme Court).
• Court Reporter Timesheets: Due by the 5th day of each month (judges are to sign time sheets prior to submission).
• Permanently Assigned Vehicle Logs: Due by the 5th day of each month.
• Report of Probate Cases Pending: Due by the 10th day of each month.
• County Court Time Sheets: Due by the 10th day of each month.
• Stenographer Transcription Reports: Due by the 10th day of each month.
• Expense Vouchers: Submit on a monthly basis (rather than combining several months of expenses on one voucher).

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Publication Ordering Available Online
Court staff may now order publications from the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation online at www.nebraska.gov/courts/ordering/order.cgi. The AOC’s most frequently ordered publications are available through the online order form. The selection includes jury brochures, small claims guides, parenting act booklets, the Citizen's Guide to Nebraska's Courts, judge’s adoption cards, and AOC court staff timecards.

Signature Blocks on Emails
Officials of the Administrative Office of the Courts appreciate court employees who have added the signature feature to their emails. It is a great help to those who work several towns or courthouses away from each other. Those individuals not already using a signature block may want to consider adding one to work email messages. To add a signature block, locate the 'options' button (usually near the file folder). Under 'options,' select the 'compose' button. Scroll down to the option for a 'signature.' Most employees include full name, title, address (both street address and P.O. Box, if applicable) and phone number. The email address may also be added; however, this may be redundant due to it being on the email itself.

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