Article 14: Uniform County Court Rules of Practice and Procedure · Last amended June 9, 2010 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 6-1403 requires everyone entering a Nebraska county courtroom while court is in session to sit down and stay quiet, bars smoking, eating, drinking, and other distracting conduct, and prohibits weapons in the courtroom or nearby public areas absent the court’s permission, backed by the court’s authority to order a search.
Full Text of § 6-1403
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All persons entering the courtroom while court is in session shall be seated immediately and shall conduct themselves in a quiet and orderly manner. No person shall smoke, eat, drink beverages, or engage in other distracting conduct in the courtroom while court is in session.
No person shall possess any firearm or other dangerous weapon in the courtroom or in any public area adjacent to it without the permission of the court.
Upon order of the court, any person may be subjected to a search of his or her person and possessions for any weapons, destructive device, or components thereof.
Amendment History
§ 6-1403 amended June 9, 2010.
Plain-English Summary
Section 6-1403 sets the baseline behavior expected of anyone in the courtroom while court is in session, not just the lawyers and parties. Anyone entering takes a seat immediately and stays quiet and orderly. Smoking, eating, drinking, and any other distracting conduct are off the table while the court is working.
The rule also addresses safety directly. No one may carry a firearm or other dangerous weapon into the courtroom, or into the public areas next to it, without the court’s permission. To back that up, the court can order anyone to be searched for weapons or destructive devices.
Taken together, these are the ground rules that let a courtroom function as a working space for hearings and trials rather than a public gallery where anything goes. They apply to spectators and observers as much as to the people directly involved in a case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring food or a drink into a Nebraska county courtroom during a hearing?
No. Section 6-1403 bars eating, drinking beverages, and other distracting conduct while court is in session.
Can a person be searched before entering the courtroom?
Yes. Upon a court order, any person may be searched for weapons, destructive devices, or their components.
Are weapons ever allowed in or near the courtroom?
Only with the court’s permission. The rule bars possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon in the courtroom or adjacent public areas without it.
Does this rule apply only to the parties in a case?
No. It applies to all persons entering the courtroom while court is in session, including spectators.
What is expected of someone who walks into the courtroom mid-hearing?
They should sit down immediately and behave in a quiet and orderly manner, per the rule’s decorum requirement.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Judicial Branch, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Nebraska. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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