Douglas County District Court Overview
Nebraska district courts are general jurisdiction trial courts. The statute at Neb. Rev. Stat. 24-301 makes district courts courts of record, which is why the Douglas County District Court keeps formal, permanent case files. Civil and criminal cases of nearly all types can be filed and tried there, with limited exceptions.
Douglas County sits in Nebraska's 4th Judicial District. The court runs from the Hall of Justice at 1701 Farnam Street in downtown Omaha, phone 402-444-7018. It also acts as an appellate court for most appeals from Douglas County Court and from administrative agencies. When the district court sits as an appellate court, the judge reviews the record from the lower court or agency rather than holding a new trial.
Because Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska, the Douglas County District Court carries a far larger caseload than most district courts in the state. That volume is why the bench has many judges sitting at once.
Douglas County District Court Judges
Nebraska district courts are not split into numbered courts the way some states number their benches. Instead, the 4th Judicial District has a single district court with many elected judges who rotate through civil, criminal, and domestic dockets. The Nebraska Judicial Branch lists the sitting judges below.
| Judge | Court | District |
|---|---|---|
| Hon. Ryan M. Lindberg | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Tressa M. Alioth | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Peter C. Bataillon | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Katie L. Benson | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Timothy P. Burns | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Michael W. Jensen | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. J. Russell Derr | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Duane C. Dougherty | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Todd O. Engleman | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Molly B. Keane | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Jeffrey J. Lux | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. James M. Masteller | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Kimberly Miller Pankonin | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Marlon A. Polk | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Richard P. McGowan | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. LeAnne M. Srb | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Shelly R. Stratman | District Court | 4th Judicial |
| Hon. Horacio J. Wheelock | District Court | 4th Judicial |
District Court vs. County Court vs. Separate Juvenile Court
Three trial courts serve Douglas County, and each one handles a different slice of cases. Knowing which court hears a case type tells a person which docket to search and which clerk to contact.
| District Court | County Court | Separate Juvenile Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | No upper limit | Up to $70,000 | Not applicable |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies | Misdemeanors, traffic, preliminary felony hearings | Juvenile matters |
| Family cases | Divorce and domestic relations | No | Abuse, neglect, delinquency |
| Probate | No | Yes | No |
Douglas is one of only three Nebraska counties with a separate juvenile court, along with Lancaster and Sarpy. In most Nebraska counties, juvenile matters are heard inside the county court instead.
How a Case Moves Through the Douglas County System
Criminal and civil cases follow different paths, but both can end with an appeal to the Nebraska Court of Appeals or the Nebraska Supreme Court. A felony usually starts in County Court for a preliminary hearing, then moves up to District Court.
Criminal flow: Arrest › First Appearance in County Court › Preliminary Hearing › Information Filed in District Court › Arraignment › Pretrial › Trial › Sentencing › Appeal
Civil flow: Complaint Filed › Answer › Discovery › Pretrial Motions › Trial › Judgment › Appeal
The appellate route runs to the Nebraska Court of Appeals first, with the Nebraska Supreme Court hearing mandatory appeals, constitutional questions, and cases removed or bypassed from the Court of Appeals.
How to Search Douglas County District Court Records
District Court case files are searchable through the statewide JUSTICE one-time case search for $17. One important catch applies to Douglas County: the free Nebraska Multi-Court Calendar does not include regular Douglas District Court dates, only Douglas juvenile dates. For a District Court calendar, a filer should use the paid JUSTICE search or contact the clerk.
The civil-record privacy rule at Neb. Ct. R. 6-1521 explains why some divorce, garnishment, and financial filings show redactions. Sensitive personal and financial identifiers can be sealed in the original file with a redacted version placed in the public record.
For the full search walkthrough, see the court records page. For docket-specific help, see court dockets.
The Clerk and the Court Record
The Douglas County Clerk of the District Court, Crystal Rhoades, keeps the official record for every District Court case. The clerk authority statute is Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-2214, and the elected-clerk statute is Neb. Rev. Stat. 32-524. The clerk files documents, maintains the docket, issues process, and provides certified copies.
The same clerk office serves the Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court from a separate room at 1717 Harney Street. For request methods, fees, and certified-copy steps, see the Clerk of the District Court page.