Hon. Robert R. Otte, District Judge for the 3rd Judicial District, is retiring November 27, 2022. Otte serves as a judge of the Lancaster County Veterans Treatment Court in addition to presiding full-time on the district court bench in Lincoln.

In his retirement announcement to the Chief Justice and Governor, Otte wrote, “I am honored and humbled to have worked side by side with the talented, hardworking judges in this District. I am grateful to have been part of the Nebraska Judicial Branch and those many dedicated and talented judges and employees.”  He continued, “My special thanks to the attorneys that put in the hard work demanded by the profession. Those that have practiced in front of me are respectful of our legal system, fervent yet collegial advocates, and well-versed in the law.”

Under Otte’s administration, the Veterans Treatment Court accepted the designation of national mentor court by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP).  As part of NADCP’s mentor court network for 2022-2024, the Lancaster County Veterans Treatment Court will help develop, identify, and test national best practices and provide technical assistance to jurisdictions interested in implementing similar problem-solving courts.

Otte has participated on numerous judicial committees for both the Supreme Court and Nebraska District Judges Association throughout his career on the bench. He currently serves on the Nebraska District Judges Association Bench Book, Legislative, and Court Reporter Committees.

Otte has served the citizens of Lancaster County (3rd Judicial District) from 2008 to his 2022 retirement. After taking the bench, he was retained in his position by area voters, most recently in 2018.

“I remain deeply dedicated to our legal system and the people engaged within that system making Nebraska better for all citizens of this State,” noted Otte.

The first step in deciding whether Otte’s judicial position will need to be filled is for the Judicial Resources Commission to call a meeting to determine whether, based on judicial workload statistics, his retirement creates a judicial vacancy on the district court for the 3rd Judicial District.