2012 Nebraska Children’s Summit
Photographs of the 2012 Nebraska Children’s Summit held August 27 - 29, 2012, in Kearney, Nebraska, are now available. 

Immediately following the meeting, the Chief Justice sent a letter of gratitude to participants on behalf of the Nebraska Supreme Court and the Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative.

He noted the number of people attending the Summit was impressive and indicative of the widespread concern about the well-being of children in the court system.

Additionally, he reminded participants of the new priorities selected for the next three years:
1. Improve service delivery to the family – frontloaded, targeted to the issues, and effective;
2. Improve our response to older youth in care; and
3. Expedite quality evaluations and targeted treatment for substance-abusing parents.

Click here to view a slideshow of the Children’s Summit.


Constitution Day – September 17, 2012
In celebration of the 225th anniversary of the Constitution, Justice William Connolly travelled to Grand Island to participate in the annual education program jointly sponsored by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation and the Nebraska Supreme Court.  To enhance this year's theme of "Democracy and the Duty to Vote," Secretary of State John Gale enthusiastically partnered in this year's outreach program, which was streamed live from Grand Island Senior High to several other schools across the state.

Click here to view a slideshow of the Grand Island event.

Article from the Grand Island Independent:
The U.S. Constitution is not a dry piece of parchment kept in some inaccessible archive in Washington, D.C., but a document that has produced bare-knuckle fights and slugfests since the beginning of this nation's history and continues to do so today.  Click here to read full article.


Nebraska Supreme Court Strategic Agenda 2013 – 2015 Approved by Supreme Court
The Nebraska Supreme Court Strategic Agenda 2013 – 2015 has been approved by the Court and is now available on the Judicial Branch Web site:
http://supremecourt.ne.gov/community/adminreports/strategic-agenda/2013-2015-strategic-agenda.pdf

Hardcopies of the Strategic Agenda will be distributed at judges’ meetings this fall/winter and will be presented to the Nebraska Legislature during the Chief Justice’s State of the Judiciary. 


New Probation Officers Sworn In by Chief Justice Heavican in Ceremony at State Capitol
Thirty-four new probation officers were sworn in by Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican on September 6, 2012.

The ceremony took place in the Warner Chamber of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln in front of an audience of family, friends, and fellow Judicial Branch employees.

All probation officers taking their oath of office have completed extensive training and now meet the requirements essential to fulfill the duties of a Nebraska State Probation Officer.

To read full release, along with names of new officers, click here.


Nebraska Court of Appeals Arguments Held at Peru State
The Nebraska Court of Appeals held arguments on the campus of Peru State College (PSC) Thursday, September 13, 2012. The session involved extensive educational outreach including a detailed release of case summaries distributed to students in advance, a question and answer session with judges following both morning and afternoon arguments, and the direct involvement of faculty and administration of the college.

Chief Judge Everett O. Inbody said, “The Nebraska Court of Appeals judges welcome this opportunity to visit Peru State College and the residents of Nemaha County. The invitation to hold our court sessions at the college provides us with a unique opportunity for community outreach in a wonderful setting. We look forward to meeting with students and college faculty alike.”

Click here to read the original press release.


Creighton University Works with the Nebraska Supreme Court to Meet Language Needs of the Legal Community               
The Creighton University School of Law hosted Orientation for Nebraska Court Interpreters September 8 - 9, 2012.  Twenty-one prospective interpreters, speaking a total of 12 languages, received instruction from Federally Certified Spanish Court Interpreters Jeck Navarrete and Laura Garcia-Hein.  Among many other areas of study, training topics included ethics, court procedures, and types of interpretation needed in Nebraska courts. 

The 1990 to 2010 U.S. Census shows Nebraska’s limited English proficient population – those who speak a language other than English in the home – grew from 22,000 to 76,000 for an increase of 242%. 

Click here to read full news article.


Nebraska Hosts Eighth Annual Legal Diversity Summit September 7, 2012, at Creighton Harper Center
Nebraska’s legal community sponsored its Eighth Annual Legal Diversity Summit at the Creighton Harper Center for Law in an effort to encourage diversity and awareness among lawyers, judges, and law students. Over 150 participants, including attorneys, judges, law students, and individuals interested in applying for law school, were in attendance.

The Summit offered speeches by Jeff Rachlinski, Cornell law professor and accomplished legal author; Kim Taylor-Riley, Director of the Commission on Human Rights; and Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court Judge, Vernon Daniels, among others. Riley, whose opening remarks summarized the spirit of the event stated, “Promoting diversity in the legal profession is a long-term commitment that requires action from all sectors of the legal community: law schools, bar associations, the courts, firms, and other legal employers.”

Click here to read the NSBA's press release. 

Click here to view a slideshow on the Minority Justice Committee's home page.

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Judicial Branch Education
Training Opportunities
New Employee Orientation for court employees will take place on Friday, November 9, 2012, in Lincoln at the State Capitol. This orientation was last held April 2012 and all new employees who have not participated before are required to attend.  It is an opportunity to meet the staff of the administrative office and other new employees from across the state.  An introduction to the functions of the administrative office will be presented, as well as breakout sessions on jury management, computer basics, dealing with difficult people and JUSTICE topics.  Questions about attending this orientation session should be directed to Judicial Branch Education.  Register at http://nebraskajbe.org.

Click here to view upcoming JBE-sponsored education opportunities. (Click on "calendar" located next to "search for courses".)   Online registration is currently open for the following education opportunities:

Court

• 2012 Upcoming Webinars (Distance Education)
  • October 11 – What’s New with Guardians/Conservators for Court Staff
  • October 15 – Ask a Court Reporter
  • October 17 – Auditing, 1099s for Clerks of the District Court
  • October 30 – Diagnostic & Treatment Services by The Department of Corrections for Judges
  • October 31 – As a JUSTICE Business Analyst for Court Staff (1st in a new monthly series)

• Meetings & Conferences
  • Annual Fall Judges' Meeting, October 24 - 26, 2012, Omaha
  • New Employee Orientation (for new county court employees), November 9, 2012
  • JUSTICE Training for 2012 (see dates below)

Probation

• Probation Support Staff Training begins October 22, 2012 – Registration closes October 9, 2012

JUSTICE Training
Dates for 2012 JUSTICE training for county and district courts have been set.  Court staff can see all training dates set for 2012 on the “Calendar of Live Education” events on the JBE online registration Web site or from the link on this Web page: http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/jbe/jbe-ed-programs.shtml.  There is a minimum of three attendees and a maximum of six attendees at each session.  Training will not be scheduled if there are fewer than three registered for a session. Online registration will close two weeks prior to the training.

County Court
October 22 - 26, 2012, Lincoln. Registration deadline: October 8, 2012
November 5 - 9, 2012, North Platte, Registration deadline: October 22, 2012

District Court
October 16-18, 2012, Lincoln. Registration: Closed
November 27-29, 2012, North Platte. Registration deadline: November 13, 2012

JBE Staff
Carole McMahon-Boies, Director, 402-471-3072, carole.mcmahon-boies@nebraska.gov
Jerid Wedige, Probation Education Manager, 402-471-4486, jerid.wedige@nebraska.gov
Alicia Guerra, Administrative Assistant, 402-471-0275, alicia.guerra@nebraska.gov
Diona Hartwig, Administrative Assistant, 402-471-0005, diona.hartwig@nebraska.gov


Trial Court Services
Court Interpreter Project
Testing for Certification as a Nebraska Court Interpreter will be held October 19 and 20, 2012, in Lincoln. Applicants must have completed Court Interpreter Orientation and passed the written English comprehension exam in order to be eligible.


Court Bench Book

• Child Support Calculator 2012 version (contact Janet Bancroft for password)

 

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Reminder to Check Email
Reminder to all employees:  it is very important to check your state-issued email addresses every work day.   Important information regarding employment is sent via state-assigned email throughout the year.  Information from the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation, from state personnel (insurance changes, open enrollment for benefits, administrative) and state retirement is often sent.  

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Award Winners for 2012
The Judicial Branch Employee Recognition Committee is pleased to announce the following 2012 Nebraska Supreme Court Employee Recognition Award Winners.  Congratulations to the award winners who will be presented with their award in a ceremony on October 5, 2012, at the Nebraska State Capitol.



• Outstanding Trial or Appellate Court Employee:  Sandi Peters, Administrative Assistant, Nebraska Supreme Court, Lincoln

• Outstanding Probation Employee (Jean Miller Memorial Award for Probation Support Staff): Becky Smith, Senior Secretary, District 1 Probation, Wilber     

• Outstanding Probation Officer (LaDonna Snell Probation Officer Award): Kathy Long, Senior Probation Officer, District 2 Probation, Papillion

• Outstanding Court Supervisor/Administrative Employee: Darrie Streeter, Clerk Magistrate, Phelps County Court, Holdrege       

• Outstanding Probation Supervisor (Bob Keller Memorial Award for Probation Supervisor): Patty Lyon, Drug Court Coordinator, District 6 Probation, Fremont

• Outstanding Customer Service in the Courts: Jodi Kielian, Records Clerk, Platte County Court, Columbus

• Innovation Award:  Linda Smith, Clerk Magistrate, Hitchcock County Court, Trenton; and Deborah League, Clerk Magistrate, Dundy County Court, Benkelman

• Outstanding Team: Behavioral-Based Case and Caseload Management Training Team (Deb Minardi,  Julie Scott,  Kari Rumbaugh,  Amy Latshaw, and Toni Jensen)

• Employee of the Year: Ellen Faltys, Clerk Magistrate, Colfax County Court, Schuyler


New Judge
To read the Governor's press release, click the name.

Daniel R. Fridrich, Workers' Compensation Court, appointed September 18, 2012.


Upcoming Judicial Retirements
To read the press release, click each name.

Robert B. Ensz, District Court, 7th Judicial District, October 31, 2012.
Gerald E. Rouse, County Court, 5th Judicial District, December 31, 2012.
Carlton E. Clark, County Court, 11th Judicial District, January 1, 2013.
Richard W. Krepela, County Court, 7th Judicial District, January 3, 2013.


New Court Personnel
Crystal Vlcek, Records Clerk, Douglas County Court, effective September 10, 2012.
Gloria Moreno, Records Clerk, Douglas County Court, effective September 10, 2012.
Amber Ball, Records Clerk, Lancaster County Court, effective September 10, 2012.
Victoria Wood, Records Clerk, Hall County Court, effective September 10, 2012.
Janellys Santa, Records Clerk, Hall County Court, effective September 10, 2012.
Elizabeth Meyerhoeffer, Records Clerk, Douglas County Court, effective September 17, 2012.
McKenzie Barber, Records Clerk, Douglas County Court, effective September 24, 2012.
Jordan Hussey, Cashier, Lancaster County Court, effective September 24, 2012.
Natalie Navis, Law Clerk, Nebraska Court of Appeals, effective September 24, 2012.


New Probation Personnel
Jessie Henne, District Data Analyst, District #4A, Omaha Adult, effective September 1, 2012.
Nicole Davis, Rural Improvement for Schooling & Employment (RISE) Specialist, District #8, O’Neill, effective September 10, 2012.
Michael Ambriz-Villa, Probation Officer, District #4J, Omaha Juvenile, effective September 17, 2012.
Nathan McMullin, Probation Officer, District #4J, Omaha Juvenile, effective September 17, 2012.
Daniel Bloom, Probation Officer, District #4J, Omaha Juvenile, effective September 17, 2012.
Brian Priess, Probation Officer, District #9, Grand Island, effective September 19, 2012.
Debra Hazy, District Data Analyst, Districts #11 and #12, North Platte and Gering, effective October 1, 2012.

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County Court Association Elects New Officers
The Nebraska County Court Association has elected new officers with terms beginning September 2012.  Officers are:

Tom Hawes, President

Linda Smith, Vice President

Reynalda Carpenter, Secretary

Kari Kuehn , Treasurer


Judicial Ethics Committee
Judge John Irwin has been appointed Vice Chairman of the Judicial Ethics Committee. Judge Larry Gendler is Chairman. The committee is available to answer question by anyone subject to the Code of Judicial Conduct, including referees, clerk magistrates, judges, and judicial candidates.  Click here to view the full Judicial Ethics Committee listing. 

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Rule Amendments
Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court adjudicatory rules, Rules 2 and 3
(approved September 26, 2012)

Neb. Ct. R. §§ 3-702 and 3-703 (Senior Law Students: Limited Practice of Law)
(adopted September 13, 2012)

Neb. Ct. R. ch. 6, art. 14, appendix 6 (Waiver/Fine Schedule)
(adopted September 13, 2012)


Judgment Interest Rate
Effective October 18, 2012, the judgment interest rate will be 2.137%.

http://supremecourt.ne.gov/community/judgment-interest-rate.shtml

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2012 (holidays in red)
October 8	Columbus Day
November 12	Veterans' Day
November 22 - 23	Thanksgiving and Friday following
December 25	Christmas
2013 (holidays in red)
January 1	New Year's Day
January 21	Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 18	Presidents' Day
April 26	Arbor Day
May 27	Memorial Day
June 5 - 7	District Judges’ Meeting
June 26 - 28	County Judges’ Meeting
July 4	Independence Day
September 2	Labor Day
October 2 - 4	Fall Judges’ Meeting
October 14	Columbus Day
November 11	Veterans' Day
November 28 - 29	Thanksgiving and Friday following
December 25	Christmas


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.
• County Court Time Sheets: 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 order publications from the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation (AOC/P) online at www.nebraska.gov/courts/ordering/order.cgi. The AOC/P’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.

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