(A) Every judicial district shall have a transparent process for appointment of counsel for indigent defendants as provided in Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 29-3901 to 29-3908.
§ 6-1467.Appointment of counsel in criminal cases.
Article 14: Uniform County Court Rules of Practice and Procedure · Last amended February 12, 2014 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis rule required every Nebraska judicial district to adopt, by January 1, 2015, a public local rule laying out a transparent process for appointing counsel to indigent criminal defendants, including how the attorney list is kept and how attorneys join or leave it.
Full Text of § 6-1467
(B) On or before January 1, 2015, the county court and district court judges of each judicial district shall adopt a local rule for the judicial district regarding appointment of counsel in criminal cases. Such local rule shall be made public and shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) Provision for maintenance of a list of all licensed attorneys who may be expected to accept appointments in criminal cases in the judicial district, and information on obtaining such list from the court;
(2) The judicial district's process for appointments under Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 29-3901 to 29-3908; and
(3) Information as to how an attorney may be added to or, if permitted, removed from the court-appointed attorney list.
Amendment History
§ 6-1467 adopted February 12, 2014.
Plain-English Summary
Indigent defendants have a statutory right to appointed counsel under Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 29-3901 to 29-3908, but the mechanics of who gets appointed, and how, can vary from district to district. This rule requires every judicial district to make its own appointment process transparent and public. By January 1, 2015, the county court and district court judges of each district had to adopt a local rule covering, at minimum, three things: how the district maintains a list of licensed attorneys who accept criminal appointments and how the public can obtain that list, the district’s specific process for making appointments under the governing statutes, and how an attorney gets added to, or removed from, the appointed-attorney list.
That local rule does not stand on its own — it is governed by § 6-1448, the same general framework that applies to other local rules a district adopts, tying counsel-appointment procedures to the same adoption and publication requirements used elsewhere in county court administration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Nebraska judicial district have its own process for appointing defense counsel?
Yes. Each district was required to adopt its own local rule, by January 1, 2015, setting out a transparent process for appointing counsel to indigent defendants.
What must a district’s local counsel-appointment rule cover?
At minimum, maintenance of a list of attorneys who accept criminal appointments and how to obtain it, the district’s appointment process under the governing statutes, and how an attorney is added to or removed from the list.
How can someone find out who is on the court-appointed attorney list?
The local rule adopted under this section must be public and must explain how to obtain information on the attorney list maintained for the district.
How does an attorney get added to or removed from the appointment list?
The district’s local rule spells out that process, since this rule requires the local rule to address how attorneys are added to, or if permitted, removed from, the list.
What rule governs how these local counsel-appointment rules themselves get adopted?
Section 6-1448 governs the adoption of the local rule required under this section.
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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