Nebraska Legal Overview The highest court in Nebraska is the Nebraska Supreme Court, with a Chief Justice and six associate justices appointed by the Governor and subsequently elected for six year terms. The Nebraska Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court with six judges. An appeal will be heard by a three-judge panel. The District Courts serve as the main trial courts with general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. There are currently 56 District Court judges across 21 districts. County Courts have limited jurisdiction over misdemeanors and civil cases regarding matters below $5,000. Nebraska also has a separate Small Claims Court.
Top metro Nebraska areas for Legal Issues:
1. Capital punishment is legal in Nebraska, and the death penalty was administered until Feb 2008 through electrocution. On Feb 8, 2008, the Nebraska Supreme Court put a stop to execution by electrocution, citing it as "cruel and unusual punishment." Starting from May 28, 2009, the death penalty in Nebraska is administered via lethal injection only. In Stenberg v. Carhart (2000), the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Nebraska law banning partial-birth abortions. Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart (1976) was another landmark case that resulted in greater press freedom by removing gag orders or restraints on press coverage of criminal cases. 2. An imate in Nebraska has had two to four more years added onto his prison sentence. The decision was made after Nick Roberts was out for a day on work release and did not return back after two days. He pleaded guilty to attempting to escape. 3. A federal claim has been filed against the city of Plattsmouth, Nebraska regarding actions in the floodway ordiance.
Trending Nebraska Legal Topics: The Nebraska State Bar Association (NBSA) was founded as a voluntary Bar in 1899. It was integrated in 1937 by order of the Nebraska Supreme Court. It is compulsory for all of the more than 5,200 lawyers licensed to practice law in Nebraska to become NBSA members. The NBSA membership has risen to 9,300 lawyers and judges. Bar exams are administered by the Nebraska State Bar Commission. The NBSA, Nebraska Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals are all located in Lincoln, NE. But the Court of Appeals is authorized to hear oral arguments in many cities throughout the state. |