Gov. Pete Ricketts has appointed Lynelle Homolka of Central City as a county court judge in the 5th Judicial District.

Homolka, 46, has served as the Merrick County attorney and Central Nebraska Youth Services administrator since 2011. The 5th District consists of Boone, Butler, Colfax, Hamilton, Merrick, Nance, Platte, Polk, Saunders, Seward and York counties.

In her role as county attorney, Homolka has handled juvenile, traffic, misdemeanor and felony criminal prosecutions as well as a wide variety of civil matters such as proceedings related to mental health, child support, employment law, open meetings laws, contracts/interlocal agreements, planning and zoning, ordinance enforcement, tax equalization and inheritance tax review, according to the Governor’s Office.

Prior to her work in Merrick County, Homolka served as deputy county attorney in Hall County from 2001 to 2010. She has practiced criminal and juvenile law for over 20 years, litigating well in excess of 100 criminal jury trials, including felony cases involving violent assault, child abuse, sexual assault and murder.

Homolka holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law. She is a member of the Nebraska Bar Association.

Homolka is active in the community as a mock trial judge for the Nebraska Bar Association and as a volunteer coach for volleyball and basketball youth clubs.

Additionally, she’s involved in numerous public boards and commissions, including the Governor’s Commission for the Protection of Children, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Task Force, the Nebraska County Attorneys Association and the Merrick County Youth Council.

Homolka fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Linda Caster Senff.