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§ 6-1459.Presiding judges.

Article 14: Uniform County Court Rules of Practice and Procedure · Last amended January 31, 2018 · Last verified July 22, 2026

In one sentenceThis rule makes the presiding judge responsible for administering a judicial district’s county courts — supervising staff, coordinating judges, liaising with the Administrative Office of the Courts, reviewing audits, and approving certain bond reinstatements — and sets a one-year elected term subject to Supreme Court approval.

Full Text of § 6-1459

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The presiding judge has primary responsibility for overseeing the delivery of county court services within the geographical area of the judicial district.
In districts where there is a judicial administrator, the presiding judge, in accordance with Nebraska Supreme Court Personnel Policies and Procedures, bears the responsibility for the hiring, evaluation, and discipline of the judicial administrator. The presiding judge is to provide direction to the judicial administrator in matters of local district policy. A presiding judge is to provide direction to the judicial administrator to ensure that state statutes, Supreme Court rules, and policies of the Administrative Office of the Courts are appropriately carried out. The presiding judge is the immediate supervisor of the judicial administrator and shall meet with the judicial administrator on a regular basis to coordinate the work of the judges and staff within the district.
In districts where there is no judicial administrator, the presiding judge bears the responsibility for the hiring, evaluation, and discipline of the clerk magistrates in the district. The presiding judge is to provide direction to the clerk magistrates in matters of local district policy. A presiding judge is to provide direction to the clerk magistrates to ensure that state statutes, Supreme Court rules, and policies of the Administrative Office of the Courts are appropriately carried out. The presiding judge is the immediate supervisor of the clerk magistrates and shall meet with the clerk magistrates on a regular basis to coordinate the work of the judges and staff within the district. In districts with more than one county, these duties may be assigned to individual judges on a county-by-county basis.
It shall be the responsibility of the presiding judge to coordinate the work of all judges within the district. This may include assigning judges to various duties within a single county or among various counties of the district.
The presiding judge shall bear the responsibility of notifying the Administrative Office of the Courts if there is a need for a substitute judge anywhere in the district.
The presiding judge shall delegate appropriate administrative responsibility to the judicial administrator and the rest of the administrative staff of the district or to the clerk magistrates and the rest of the administrative staff of the counties relating to budget preparation and general administration, case management, facilities, personnel administration, and court records management. In districts with more than one county, these duties may be assigned to individual judges on a county-by-county basis.
The presiding judge shall be the liaison with the Administrative Office of the Courts and Supreme Court.
It shall be the responsibility of the presiding judge to plan and chair each year a meeting of all judges, judicial administrators, and clerk magistrates within a district. The presiding judge may plan and chair additional meetings as deemed necessary in the discretion of the presiding judge of all judges, judicial administrators, and clerk magistrates within a district.
The presiding judge, or the presiding judge's designee, shall be the liaison to the Nebraska State Bar Association and the media for the courts of the district. In districts with more than one county, these duties may be assigned to individual judges on a county-by-county basis.
The presiding judge shall be the liaison to other agencies of local and state government for the courts of the district. In districts with more than one county, these duties may be assigned to individual judges on a county-by- county basis.
It shall be the responsibility of the presiding judge of the district to review the audits of all county courts of the district to make sure that the accounting practices being followed are in accordance with the County Court Accounting Manual. It is the duty of the presiding judge to respond to any audit recommendation. It is also the duty of the presiding judge to make all records and information available to the individuals doing the audit.
It shall be the duty of the presiding judge to approve any reinstatement of bonds which have been forfeited for more than 90 days when the presiding judge determines it is in the best interests of justice. In districts with more than one county, these duties may be assigned to individual judges on a county-by-county basis.
The presiding judge shall be elected each year by a majority vote of the judges of the district subject to approval by the Supreme Court. Notification of the name of the individual elected as presiding judge of the district shall be given to the State Court Administrator no later than the last day of November of each year.
A presiding judge shall hold the position for a term of 1 year from the first day of January to the last day of December of the same year. There is no limit on the number of terms a presiding judge may serve. A judge who has served for two or more consecutive terms may decline to serve another consecutive term. The election of a presiding judge must be approved by the Supreme Court. If notice of disapproval of the person elected to be presiding judge is not given within 15 days of the submission of the name to the State Court Administrator, then the person shall be deemed approved. If the Supreme Court disapproves of the person elected to be presiding judge, the district shall elect another person and submit that name to the State Court Administrator within 10 days of the notice of disapproval.

Amendment History

Rule 59 adopted October 1996. Renumbered and codified as § 6-1459, effective July 18, 2008; § 6-1459 amended August 27, 2008; amended June 8, 2011; amended January 31, 2018.

Plain-English Summary

A judicial district with several county judges, and sometimes several counties, needs someone to run its administrative side, on top of hearing cases. That is the presiding judge’s job. Where a district has a judicial administrator, the presiding judge hires, evaluates, and disciplines that person, sets direction on local policy, and meets with them regularly to keep the district’s judges and staff coordinated. Where a district has no judicial administrator, the presiding judge takes on that same supervisory role directly over the district’s clerk magistrates, and in multi-county districts, these duties can be split among individual judges county by county.

Beyond staff supervision, the presiding judge coordinates how judges are assigned across counties, tells the Administrative Office of the Courts when a substitute judge is needed, delegates budget and case-management responsibilities to the administrative staff, and serves as the district’s liaison to the Administrative Office, the Supreme Court, the Nebraska State Bar Association, the media, and other government agencies. Once a year the presiding judge plans and chairs a meeting of all the district’s judges, judicial administrators, and clerk magistrates, and may call additional meetings as needed.

Two duties stand out for their substance. The presiding judge reviews each county court’s audit within the district to confirm its accounting practices follow the County Court Accounting Manual, responds to any audit findings, and makes records available to the auditors. The presiding judge also approves reinstating any bond forfeited for more than ninety days, when doing so serves the interests of justice.

Presiding judges are elected annually by majority vote of the district’s judges, subject to Supreme Court approval; if the Supreme Court does not object within fifteen days of the district reporting its choice, the person is deemed approved, and if it does object, the district elects someone else within ten days. There is no limit on how many one-year terms a presiding judge may serve, though a judge who has already served two or more consecutive terms may decline another.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a presiding judge do that other county judges in the district do not?

The presiding judge takes on administrative duties for the whole district — supervising the judicial administrator or clerk magistrates, coordinating judge assignments, liaising with outside agencies, reviewing audits, and approving certain bond reinstatements — in addition to hearing their own docket.

Who supervises the judicial administrator or clerk magistrates in a district?

The presiding judge does. Where a judicial administrator exists, the presiding judge hires, evaluates, and disciplines that person; where there is none, the presiding judge takes on that role for the district’s clerk magistrates.

How is a presiding judge chosen, and how long do they serve?

The district’s judges elect a presiding judge each year by majority vote, subject to Supreme Court approval, and the term runs for one calendar year with no limit on the number of terms a judge may serve.

Can the Supreme Court reject a district’s choice of presiding judge?

Yes. If the Supreme Court disapproves the person elected within fifteen days of the district submitting the name, the district must elect someone else and submit that name within ten days of the disapproval notice.

What role does the presiding judge play with forfeited bonds?

The presiding judge must approve any reinstatement of a bond that has been forfeited for more than ninety days, when the presiding judge determines that reinstatement serves the interests of justice.

Can these administrative duties be split among judges in a multi-county district?

Yes. The rule repeatedly allows districts with more than one county to assign supervisory and liaison duties to individual judges on a county-by-county basis instead of concentrating them in one person.

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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