Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the appointment of two judges last Friday, and both will be familiar faces to court colleagues.

Jeffry J. Lux, a deputy Douglas County attorney since 2007 who prosecutes felonies in the Criminal Division, will join the bench of the Douglas County District Court.

Jonathan D. Crosby, a juvenile and criminal law attorney who has been of counsel at Vacanti Shattuck Attorneys since 2013, will serve on the Separate Juvenile Court for Sarpy County.

Lux’s appointment will fill the vacancy created by the Nebraska Legislature authorizing a 17th district court judgeship, while Crosby’s appointment will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Lawrence D. Gendler.

Lux, 50, also has experience as an assistant Nebraska attorney general in the Criminal Bureau of the Nebraska Department of Justice from 2003 to 2006. From 2001 to 2003, he worked in the Civil Division of the Douglas County Attorney’s Office.

He also has extensive military legal experience, serving as a captain in the Judge Advocate General Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve from 2003 to 2012.

Lux holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history from Creighton University. He graduated cum laude from the Creighton University School of Law.

In 2018, he created a nonprofit to assist the Douglas County Veterans Treatment Court in supporting its veterans and staff. Additionally, Lux is a Certified Nebraska Law Enforcement Academy instructor for both the Omaha Police Academy and Sarpy Douglas Law Enforcement Academy.

Crosby, 44, has practiced before the juvenile courts in Douglas and Sarpy counties in abuse and neglect cases, as well as juveniles in delinquency cases. Crosby has also been a certified guardian ad litem since 2013.

Crosby worked as an assistant city prosecutor for Omaha from 2006 to 2013, representing the city in criminal proceedings in Douglas County Court. He worked as deputy county attorney for Seward County from 2003 to 2006.

Crosby holds a Bachelor of Science in political science and psychology from Doane University. He graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law.

He has taught courses in criminal justice at Metropolitan Community College since 2010.

Crosby has been a youth baseball coach since 1996 in the Omaha area and helped start a baseball team for the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club.