The clerks of the various courts or the official court reporters are authorized to dispose of any exhibits or substitutes which have not been released pursuant to § 6-501 according to the applicable Records Retention and Disposition Schedules of the State Records Administrator.
§ 6-502.Disposal of exhibits.
Article 5: Exhibit Disposition and Review · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section lets clerks and official court reporters dispose of trial exhibits that were never released under § 6-501, following the applicable records retention and disposition schedules set by the State Records Administrator.
Full Text of § 6-502
Plain-English Summary
Not every exhibit gets claimed. Section 6-502 gives clerks and official court reporters authority to dispose of exhibits, and any substitutes standing in for them, once it is clear they will not be released under § 6-501. That disposal has to follow the applicable Records Retention and Disposition Schedules maintained by the State Records Administrator, so the timing is not left to guesswork.
This section works as the default path for exhibits: if no one comes forward to reclaim them and no dispute over ownership arises, they eventually get disposed of on the schedule the state has already set for that category of record. Section 6-503 covers what happens when ownership is unclear, and § 6-504 confirms that a court can require exhibits to be kept longer than the schedule would otherwise call for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to a trial exhibit that nobody claims?
The clerk or official court reporter may dispose of it, along with any substitute filed in its place, according to the applicable Records Retention and Disposition Schedules of the State Records Administrator.
Who sets the timeline for how long an exhibit must be kept before disposal?
The State Records Administrator, through its Records Retention and Disposition Schedules.
Can a court keep an exhibit longer than the standard retention schedule calls for?
Yes. Section 6-504 confirms that a court is not limited to the retention schedule and can require exhibits to be kept for a longer period.
Does this section apply to substitute copies as well as original exhibits?
Yes. It covers exhibits or substitutes that have not been released under § 6-501.
What happens if there is a dispute over who owns an unclaimed exhibit?
Section 6-503 sets out the process for questioned ownership, including notice to the attorney or owner and a 30-day period to remove the exhibit before disposal is ordered.
Source & verification. Section text is
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Judicial Branch, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Nebraska. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: disposal of court exhibits nebraskarecords retention schedule exhibitsdestroying unclaimed trial exhibitswhat happens to exhibits after case endsstate records administrator exhibit schedule