Douglas County Juvenile Court Judge Christopher E. Kelly will be retiring from the bench.

Kelly’s last day will be May 1.

“It has been an honor and a privilege for me to be entrusted to serve the State of Nebraska and its children and families as a Douglas Juvenile Court Judge,” Kelly wrote in a letter to Chief Justice Michael G. Heavican.

Kelly has been a juvenile judge in Omaha since 2000. In that time, he has worked on numerous committees for the Nebraska Supreme Court and Separate Juvenile Judges Association.

Last year, the Douglas County Juvenile Court saw two back-to-back departures. Douglas F. Johnson retired Aug. 31, and Elizabeth G. Crnkovich suddenly decided to step down in September.

Gov. Pete Ricketts selected Mary M.Z. Stevens and Amy Schuchman as their replacements. Stevens has since joined the court, and Schuchman will be invested early next month in a ceremony.

The Judicial Resources Commission will hold a meeting to determine if a vacancy will exist on the Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court bench. After that, a Judicial Nominating Commission is expected to solicit applications and public feedback, interview candidates and advance finalists to the governor.