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If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. ----~ ---- ------~------- ( 1Y; dJ ~ ->. ._,,__ k.,, __, .• .:.::::-.:.....-:_ .. -."'"" __ -.-----. _-..-.___ t-;.:::"'~'--'---·~'·~"·'''-·'·''';-·-'-''''··-'''-''''·' '~-~'~'---'''--''''7'' .• ,~,."~==.-.,.-.~~---......,:----.~,,,.~.--·--.... '7'~·-~~ .. -'-~ ...... ~-'---~ ........... ~~-....... ~~-.:.~~~'1 ~>-"~ _..".,,~ v~_..,~ ..,.,~ ~~._.~_'.~_~~,,,_~,~,_~.~"~~,_.~~ .~-:1 it t ',: .' , National Criminal Justice Reference Service THE 'COURTS ~, .;\!l i =j . I • 1 I y I ( I OF NEBRASKA ,':; Thiz microfiche was produced fcom documents received for I inclusion in the NCJRS data base. Since NCJRS cannot exercise control over the physical condition of the documents submitted, I' the individual frame quality will vary. The resolution chart on i this frame may be used to evaluate the document quality. i \ Q i,. 1.0 ~ 1111/2,8 III"~ ug ~F2 2,2 Il£i r.:. ~3,6 w J:.I 0,,=4,0 1.:1. - r.:. " 1.1 gULl. IIIII:~ .25 11111.1.4 lllll1.6 , n MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS-1963-A [I a ·1 'l Microfilming procedures used to create this fiche comply with the standards set forth in 41CFR 101-11.504. ,', Points of view or opinions stated in this document are A those of the author(s) and do not represent the official i Report on 'I~~eir Structure and Operation , . position or policies of the U. S. Department of Justice. 1980 National Institute of Justice 10/12/82 United States Department of Justicle Washington, D. C. 20531 , ", I , ! -------...,,-..,.........,.,.........,....---.=-- -~ ---- ---- - ~------ \ " ·.11 • THE COURTS OF NEBRASKA 1980 A Report on Tkeir Structure and Operation Prepared by the Office of the State Court Administrator CONTENTS U.S. Department of Justice 8196 8 National Institute of Justice List of Figures ..................................... iii Distribution of Court-Generated Revenue ........... 8 This document has been r d Letter From Chief Justice ........................... iv Judicial Administration ............................ ,. 9 person or organizati .• epr.o ~ced ~X<lctly as received from the Introduction ........................................ 1 Appendix in this document ar~nt~~;~n~~ng It. POints of View or opinions stated Nebraska Judicial System ........................... 2 District Court Statistics ........................... 12 represent the official position o:hpeOI~~thorsf ahnd do. not necessarily Juslice. ICles 0 t e NatIonal Institute of Supreme Court ................................... 2 County Court Statistics ........................... 19 District Courts .................................... 4 Judicial Directory P " County Courts .................................... 4 Nebraska Judicial Districts ................... , ... 30 gre;:::~~s~; to reproduce this copyrighted material has been Municipal Courts ................................. 5 Supreme Court Judges ............................ 31 Nebraska Supreme Court Separate Juvenile Courts ................. " ....... 5 District Court Judges ............................. 31 Workmen's Compensation Court ................... 6 County Court Judges ........... ,", .. , .. ,........ 32 Office of the State Court Administrator ............ 6 Separate Juvenile Court Judges ................... 34 to the National Criminal JUstice Reference Service (NCJRS). Financial Responsibilities Lincoln and Omaha Municipal Court Judges ....... 35 Judicial Expenditures ............................. 7 Workmen's Compensation Court Judges ........... 35 Further reproduclion outside f th sion of the copyright owner. 0 e NCJRS system requires permis- Judicial Appropriations ............................ 7 I Q, FIGURES Figure Page 1. Court Structure and Process of Appeal .......................................... 3 2. Supreme Court Cases Docketed, Disposed of By Opinions, Total Disposed (1969-1980) ...................................... 4 3. Supreme Court Case Filings (1961-1981) ......................................... 4 4. Municipal Court Case Filings (1980) ............................................. 5 5. Separate Juvenile Court Case Filings (1977-1980) ................................. 5 6. Workmen's Compensation Court Cases (1980) .................................... 6 7. Judicial Expenditures (1979-1980) ................................................ 7 B. Judicial Appropriations (1979-1980) .............................................. 7 9. Distribution of Court-Generated Revenue (1980) .................................. 8 10. Map of Nebraska Judicial Districts ............................................. 30 I t , iii ---'------' ------ \ , , 01H£i~t n£ fJrt (!!Jrid 3}udht SUPREME COURT OF NEBRASKA NORMAN KRIVOSHA SUITE :a214 ChIef Justice STATE CAPITOL BLOG. LINCOLN. NEBRASKA 6B509 • TEL 1402' 474-40er. To the People of the State of Nebraska: Once again it is my pleasure as Chief Justice of Nebraska, on behalf of myself and the entire Supreme Court, to greet all of the citizens of the State of Nebraska. As we have in past years, This is the. sixth annual report on the courts we have again prepared this annual report so that you may have information concerning the of Nebraska. It is hoped that this document will judicial system of Nebraska. An examination of the report should disclose that the problem of provide the reader with a handy source of handling the volume of cases coming before the Court continues. information on the structure and operations of In an effort to meet those continuing problems, the Court is examining a number of possible the courts of Nebraska, as well as providing solutions, including the matter of redistricting, establishing preargument conferences, and statistical information on the cases processed instituting other administrative devices which will reduce the volume without affecting the by those courts. citizen's right to have his/her disputes resolved both quickly and fairly. The Office of the State Court Administrator Another matter of extreme concern to the Court, as well as to the public, is the matter of wishes to express its gratitude to all of the crime in our communities. The problem continues to grow and it is apparent to those of us clerks of the various courts who supplied the involved in the handling of criminal matters that we need to begin designing new and better statistical information reproduced in this solutions to the problem. Merely turning to slogans such as "harsher sentences" or "faster document. disposition" is not the answer, We must be prepared to properly analyzG the problem and design the solutions. These solutions may require us to make commitments of substantial dollars and we should understand the problem if we are to make those commitments. The Joe C. Steele Court is aware of both the serious problem and its obligation to solving that problem and we State Court Administrator will during the current year be addressing that matter. It is now apparent to us, however, that if any of these problems are to be met it will require the joint cooperation of the courts, the lawyers, and the citizens. Your suggestions in the past have been most helpful to us in attempting to meet our task and we continue to look forward to hearing from you in the coming year. Norman Krivosha Chief Justice ! r; L , iv 1 -----------------------------~ ~----- \ , NEBRASKA JUDICIAL SYSTEM COURT STRUCTURE AND PROCESS OF APPEAL Nebraska's Constitution vests the judicial power of the state manded, disciplined, censured, 01' suspended for willful in a Supreme Court, district courts, county courts, and such misconduct in office; willful disregard of or failure to perform other courts inferior to the Supreme Court as may be created by his or her duties; habitual intemperance; conviction of a crime law. In addition to the courts created by the Constitution, the involving moral turpitude; disbarment as a member of the legal Legislature has provided for three other types of courts - profession; or conduct prejudicial to the administration of municipal courts in Lincoln and Omaha, separate juvenile justice that brings the judicial office into disrepute. courts in Lancaster, Douglas, and Sarpy counties, and a In 1981, the Nebraska Unicameral passed LB475, providing SUPREME COURT Workmen's Compensation Court. for the statutory changes required by the 1980 adopted consti Chief Justice and 6 Judges Amendments to the judicial article of the Constitution in tutional amendment. 1970 gave the Supreme Court general administrative authority Highest Appellate Court; may exercise original jurisdiction over all the courts, permitted the appointment of a state court in certain cases, primarily where state is a party. administrator, removed the constitutional basis for justices of the peace, and permitted the unification of courts of limited jurisdiction. .... The Legislature reacted promptly to those constitutional SUPREME COURT .. changes, enacting legislation in 1972 which abolished the I I justice of the peace and local police magistrate courts and merged their functions into a reorganized county court system, SEPARATE JUVENILE mSTRICT COURT WORKMEN'S COMPo effective January 4, 1973. While the Constitution permits original jurisdiction for the COURTS 47 judges COURT 5 judges The Supreme Court established the Office of the State Court court in certain cases, primarily where the state is a party, the serving 21 districts Administrator on July 1, 1972, to implement the new county court's basic responsibility is appellate - as Nebraska's court Douglas (2 judges),