A judge took under advisement last Friday a request by the Nebraska Republican Party to overturn a decision that State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln is eligible to run for Lancaster County attorney.

State law requires a candidate for county attorney to have “practiced law actively” for at least two years prior to taking office, but the State GOP, as well as the Lancaster County Republican Party, dispute that Morfeld qualifies.

Lancaster County Election Commissioner Dave Shively ruled last week that Morfeld, a licensed attorney, had met the requirement, rejecting the GOP claims. Shively, though, said that what practicing law actively meant wasn’t well defined in state law.

That prompted the two Republican groups to file an appeal in court. After a hearing Friday afternoon, Lancaster County District Judge Kevin McManaman, took the issues under advisement.

Morfeld, a Democrat, has maintained that he’s been involved in the practice of law as a state senator and in his involvement in a voting rights group. He has also run two initiative petition drives, which Morfeld said required some legal work.

Morfled is challenging incumbent Republican Pat Condon for the Lancaster County attorney’s post. The State GOP and its attorney, Dave Lopez, have cited rules of the Nebraska Supreme Court about admittance to the state bar, in maintaining that Morfeld does not meet the definition of “actively” practicing. Those rules say an attorney must be working for a law firm, employed by a business or teaching law at a university.

This story was originally published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Find more at nebraskaexaminer.com.