The Judicial Nominating Commission for the Ninth Judicial District, which includes Buffalo and Hall counties, will conduct a public hearing on January 24, 2025. The hearing will take place at the Buffalo County Courthouse in Kearney, Nebraska. This session aims to gather information about candidates seeking to fill the district judge vacancy following Judge Ryan Carson's appointment to the federal bench.
Supreme Court Justice William B. Cassel announced that interested individuals can apply for this judicial position by obtaining an application package from the Nebraska Judicial Branch website. Completed applications must be submitted electronically or via hard copy by 3:00 p.m. on January 3, 2025. Applicants are advised against using outdated email addresses as they may not receive error notifications if their submissions fail.
Members of the public who wish to express opinions about any candidate can do so during the public hearing or submit written recommendations before the commission makes its decision. These submissions should be sent to either the commission chair or emailed directly to ashley.jenkins@nejudicial.gov and will remain confidential.
Further details regarding members of the Judicial Nominating Commission are available on the Nebraska Judicial Branch website. Special accommodations related to disabilities can be arranged by contacting (402) 471-3730, while those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the Nebraska Relay System.
The judicial power in Nebraska is distributed among several courts, including district courts like those in Buffalo and Hall counties. All operate under the administrative direction of the Supreme Court, with additional courts such as juvenile and Workers’ Compensation Courts functioning within specific jurisdictions.