(A) In all cases where books, files, records, or parts thereof belonging to or taken from the records of public offices are offered in evidence or are marked for identification to be offered at a pretrial conference, it shall be the duty of the party offering the same to furnish an electronic copy to the court reporting personnel or judge and to opposing counsel. In no event shall an original public record be marked or offered in evidence in a court proceeding.
§ 6-1413.Exhibits; record retention.
Article 14: Uniform County Court Rules of Practice and Procedure · Last amended January 1, 2022 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 6-1413 requires anyone offering public records into evidence to furnish an electronic copy rather than the original, bars marking or admitting an original public record itself, and makes the offering attorney responsible for keeping and producing pretrial-conference exhibits through trial and any appeal.
Full Text of § 6-1413
(B) All exhibits marked at a pretrial conference for later admission shall be retained by the counsel intending to offer them and counsel shall be responsible for their production at the time of trial. Parties shall retain a copy of all exhibits to be included in a bill of exceptions on appeal. See Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-116(A)(2)(b).
Amendment History
§ 6-1413 amended June 8, 2011; § 6-1413 amended June 9, 2021, effective January 1, 2022.
Plain-English Summary
Public records — the kind held in government offices — get special handling as exhibits. Section 6-1413 requires anyone offering a public record, or a part of one, into evidence or for identification at a pretrial conference to furnish an electronic copy to the court reporting personnel or judge and to opposing counsel. The original never gets marked or offered in evidence. That protects the integrity of records that belong in a public office, not in an exhibit folder that might travel with a case file or an appeal.
The rule also puts a maintenance duty on counsel. Exhibits marked at a pretrial conference for possible later admission stay in the custody of the attorney who intends to offer them, and that attorney is responsible for having them ready at trial. Parties also have to keep a copy of every exhibit that might end up in a bill of exceptions if the case is appealed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I offer an original public record, like a deed or a government file, into evidence?
No. Section 6-1413 requires an electronic copy of a public record be furnished instead, and bars marking or offering the original.
Who is responsible for keeping exhibits marked at a pretrial conference safe until trial?
The counsel intending to offer that exhibit is responsible for its custody and for producing it at trial.
Do I need to keep copies of exhibits after trial?
Yes. Parties must retain a copy of exhibits that may be included in a bill of exceptions if the case is appealed.
Who gets a copy of a public record exhibit before it is offered?
The court reporting personnel or judge, and opposing counsel, all receive an electronic copy.
Why can’t the original public record be used as the trial exhibit?
It protects the record’s integrity and availability in the public office it came from, so only an electronic copy circulates as the exhibit.
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
Also known as: public record exhibit rule nebraskacustody of pretrial exhibitsbill of exceptions exhibit copiesoriginal document evidence county court6-1413 exhibits record retention