Article 16: Jurors and Jury Selection · Last amended 2020 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section has the jury commissioner draw a random key number from one to ten to anchor jury-list selection, requires two or more key numbers in counties under three thousand people, allows judicial order elsewhere when one number proves impractical, and requires the draw to be recorded and certified.
Full Text of § 25-1653
Text size
(1) The jury commissioner, at such times as may be necessary or as he or she may be ordered to do so by the district judge, shall draw a number to be known as a key number. The drawing of a key number shall be done in a manner which will ensure that the number drawn is the result of chance. The key number shall be drawn from among the numbers one to ten. Except as otherwise provided in this section, only one key number need be drawn.
(2) In a county with a population of less than three thousand inhabitants, the jury commissioner shall draw two key numbers or such larger number of key numbers as the district judge or judges may order instead of only one.
(3) In a county with a population of three thousand inhabitants or more, where experience demonstrates that the use of only one key number does not produce a list of names of sufficient number to make the system of practical use, the district judge or judges may, in their discretion, order the selecting of two key numbers.
(4) The jury commissioner shall make a record of the manner in which the key number or numbers were drawn and the date and the hour of the drawing, the same to be certified by the jury commissioner, and such records shall be entered upon the record of the court.
Section 25-1653 describes the mechanism that starts every Nebraska jury list: the key number. At times the district judge orders, or as necessary, the jury commissioner draws a number from one to ten in a manner that ensures the result is a matter of chance. Ordinarily, only one key number needs to be drawn, and § 25-1654 explains how that number then anchors selection of the master key list.
Two situations call for more than one key number. In a county with fewer than three thousand inhabitants, the jury commissioner must draw two key numbers, or more if the district judge or judges order it, instead of relying on a single number. In a larger county — three thousand or more inhabitants — where experience shows that a single key number does not yield enough names to make the system practically useful, the district judge or judges may, at their discretion, order the selection of two key numbers.
Whatever the outcome, the jury commissioner must record how the key number or numbers were drawn and the date and hour of the drawing, certify that record, and see that it is entered on the court record.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a “key number” in Nebraska jury selection?
A number from one to ten, drawn by the jury commissioner in a manner that ensures the result is random, used under § 25-1654 to select names for the master key list.
How many key numbers does a county normally need to draw?
Ordinarily just one, except as this section otherwise provides.
Why would a small county need to draw more than one key number?
In a county with fewer than three thousand inhabitants, the jury commissioner must draw two key numbers, or more if the district judge or judges order it, so a single key number does not undersupply the jury list.
Can a larger county also be ordered to use two key numbers?
Yes. In a county of three thousand or more inhabitants, if one key number has proven insufficient to produce a workably sized list, the district judge or judges may order the selection of two key numbers.
What records must the jury commissioner keep about the key-number drawing?
A record of how the key number or numbers were drawn, and the date and hour of the drawing, certified by the jury commissioner and entered on the court record.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:key number jury selection nebraskahow jury commissioner draws key numbersmall county jury list key numbersrandom key number jury listsection 25-1653 nebraska