LINCOLN -- According to Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey J. Funke, the Judicial Nominating Commission for District Court in the Eleventh Judicial District held its first public hearing on the qualifications of two candidates who previously submitted their names to fill the vacancy in the office of District Court Judge due to the appointment of Judge Michael E. Piccolo to the Nebraska Court of Appeals. Article V, § 21(1) of the Nebraska Constitution requires that a nominating commission must present to the Governor “a list of at least two nominees” to fill a judicial vacancy. At the conclusion of the hearing on October 2, 2026, a majority of the voting members of the commission were unable to agree to advance the names of two candidates to the Governor. The constitutional requirement cannot be met in this case. Therefore, in accordance with Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-810(3), the commission shall institute a search for additional candidates to fill the vacancy.

A second public hearing will be held on Thursday, November 12, 2026, beginning at 1:00 p.m. (CST), at the Lincoln County Courthouse, District Court Courtroom #1, 301 N. Jeffers Street, North Platte, Nebraska. At the hearing, the commission will receive information on the qualifications of candidates to fill the vacancy in the office of District Court Judge due to the appointment of Judge Michael E. Piccolo to the Nebraska Court of Appeals. The primary office location for the judicial vacancy is North Platte, Lincoln County, Nebraska, or Lexington, Dawson County, Nebraska, at the election of the newly-appointed judge for the current judicial vacancy in the District Court for the 11th Judicial District.  

An applicant interested in a judicial vacancy may access the Judicial Vacancy Application, forms, instructions, and other information on the Attorney Services Division portal:  https://attorneys.nejudicial.gov/.  The application, including any attachments, the Personal Data Sheet, the writing sample, the Fair Credit Reporting Act Disclosure Statement, and the Waiver of Confidentiality must be completed and submitted through the Attorney Services Division portal on or before the deadline of Thursday, October 22, at 11:59 p.m. CDT. An applicant may edit or add information to the application and any forms up to the date and time the application is due. After the application submission deadline, no edits or additions may be made to the application or any forms. See Neb. Ct. R. § 1-601. 

Once the application deadline has passed, a separate public notice will be issued identifying the candidates for this judicial vacancy and providing specific information on how to offer public testimony at the hearing and how to submit information to the Judicial Nominating Commission.

A listing of the members of the Judicial Nominating Commission for this vacancy can be found on the Nebraska Judicial Branch website at https://nebraskajudicial.gov/administration/committees-commissions/judicial-nominating-commissions/judicial-nominating-commission-eleventh-district-countydistrict-court

For special accommodations relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact Amy Prenda, ADA Coordinator, at (402) 471-3730 or email admin.adacoordinator@nejudicial.gov.