Photo: Justices from the tristate area discuss improving resources, process for youth in the juvenile justice system. (L to R) Chief Justice Mark Cady, Iowa; Chief Justice David Gilbertson, South Dakota; Chief Justice Mike Heavican, Nebraska; and, Justice Stephanie Stacy, Nebraska. 

Nebraska Court Improvement Project hosted a forum regarding the DHHS-CIP collaborative project to improve reunification rates for children placed out of home. CIP and DHHS have worked together to identify barriers and positive methods to increase the rate of reunification within 12 months.

The data show approximately 36% of youth are reunified with a parent or returned home on a trial-home-visit within twelve months, and this does not meet the federal guideline of 43.8%.

Supreme Court and probation staff presented updates for attorneys across the state providing continuing legal education sessions in Gering, Kearney and North Platte.  Over 110 attorneys attended the sessions.

A swearing-in ceremony for Joni Roberts as Clerk Magistrate of Box Butte County Court was held July 9, 2018, in the Box Butte County Courthouse in Alliance, Nebraska. Judge Paul Wess opened and hosted the ceremony.  Corey Steel noted that the position of clerk magistrate is one of leadership that is of great importance to the community. New Supreme Court Justice John Freudenberg attended the ceremony to congratulate Roberts.

Certified Spanish court interpreter Irma Watt is Nebraska’s newest State Court Interpreter Coordinator.  Based in Grand Island, she serves the 9^th and 10^th Judicial Districts as a trusted, collaborative, and respected catalyst for and provider of professional court interpreter services.  Ms. Watt begins her full time duties on Monday, July 2, and looks forward to building upon the AOC’s longstanding commitment to ensure the limited English proficient public has equal access to justice in central Nebraska. 

During the Probation Management training on Tuesday, June 12, 2018 Above & Beyond and Rising Star Awards were presented to 13 employees. 

The Above and Beyond awards were presented to: 

Court Reporter Sonya Kennedy and Douglas County District Court Judge Gary Randall work with Christine Christopherson and Greg Sunderman of the Judicial Branch Education team to develop an online course for court reporting personnel, judges, and court staff outlining efficient ways to share evidence with news reporters during the pendency of a trial. The course will be launched in fall 2018.

On Friday, June 1, the Nebraska Court Improvement Project (CIP) hosted the summer gathering of the Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts at the Judicial Branch Education facility on Central Park Drive. The Honorable Doug Johnson, Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court and the newly appointed, Honorable Francie Riedmann, Nebraska Court of Appeals presided over the commission meeting.

A swearing-in ceremony for Sharmin Gonzales as Clerk Magistrate of Buffalo County Court was held June 18, 2018, in the Buffalo County Courthouse in Kearney, Nebraska. Judge John Rademacher opened the ceremony and welcomed guests.  Judge Gerald Jorgensen administered the Clerk Magistrate oath of office and presented Gonzales with her certificate of appointment.

Gonzales has worked for the court system for nearly 24 years in the positions of: Assistant Clerk of Buffalo County Court, County Court Juvenile Specialist, Stenographer, and Records Clerk.

Lively discussions regarding State-Federal judicial cooperation were heard coming from the Reading Room of the Nebraska State Capitol Law Library on Thursday, May 24, 2018. Attendees included Nebraska Supreme Court Justices with Chief U.S. District Judges from Districts of Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Dakota; incoming Chief Judges from Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota; the Chief Judge for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals; along with staff from the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court District of Nebraska.