State's Lawyers Recommend Retaining All Judges on Ballot
Nebraska judges at all levels of the judiciary are up for retention as part of the general election.
The Nebraska State Bar Association conducted its 2020 Judicial Performance Evaluation earlier this year, and lawyers recommended the retention of all 144 judges on the survey.
Fifty-three percent of the judges evaluated were given a 90% or higher retention recommendation by Nebraska lawyers.
“These numbers continue to be impressive and consistent with prior evaluations,” said Steve Mattoon, immediate past president of the state bar association.
The Daily Record compiled a list of judges up for retention in the metropolitan area, including biographical information from the Nebraska Judicial Branch website and a recommendation about retention made by NSBA members who opted to disclose a preference and who responded to the survey.
Find the full Judicial Performance Evaluation at nebar.com. Find more details on judges’ backgrounds at supremecourt.nebraska.gov.
Nebraska Supreme Court
District 2
Lindsey Miller-Lerman
Tenure: 28 years
Education: Wellesley College; Columbia University School of Law
Experience: Private practice, Judge of the Court of Appeals, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals
Recommendation: 91.3%
Nebraska Supreme Court
District 5
Jeffery Funke
Tenure: 13 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Business; University of Nebraska College of Law
Experience: Private practice, district and county court judge
Recommendation 87.1%
Court of Appeals
District 2
Michael W. Pirtle
Tenure: 9 years
Education: Midland Lutheran College; University of Nebraska College of Law
Experience: Director of Gross & Welch PC LLO, Sr. Staff Attorney at American Family Insurance
Recommendation: 87.6%
Court of Appeals
District 4
David K. Arterburn
Tenure: 15 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska College of Law
Experience: Private practice, Deputy County Attorney, Assistant United States Attorney, Assistant Attorney General, Judge of Sarpy County Adult Drug Court
Recommendation: 88.3%
Nebraska Workers’
Compensation Court
Dirk V. Block
Tenure: 4 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Omaha; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice, Judge of the U.S. District Court
Recommendation: 100%
Thomas E. Stine
Tenure: 9 years
Education: Wayne State College; University of South Dakota School of Law
Experience: Private practice, Assistant Attorney General, Chief of Nebraska Department of Justice Civil Litigation Bureau
Recommendation: 80.5%
District Court – 4th
Judicial District
Douglas County
Timothy P. Burns
Tenure: 9 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Douglas County Public Defender
Recommendation: 97.7%
J. Michael Coffey
Tenure: 22 years
Education: Regis College; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice
Recommendation: 92%
Duane C. Dougherty
Tenure: 9 years
Education: Creighton University; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice
Recommendation: 91.6%
Marlon A. Polk
Tenure: 15 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice, Litigation Associate at Kutak Rock Law Firm
Recommendation: 74.9%
Gary B. Randall
Tenure: 22 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice
Recommendation: 89.7%
County Court – 4th
Judicial District
Douglas County
Marcena M. Hendrix
Tenure: 22 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln; University of Nebraska College of Law
Experience: Private practice, Deputy Douglas County Public Defender
Recommendation: 87.7%
John E. Huber
Tenure: 22 years
Education: Creighton University; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Deputy Douglas County Attorney, Risk Management and Labor Relations Coordinator
Recommendation: 84.2%
Marcela A. Keim
Tenure: 9 years
Education: Benedictine College; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Assistant City Prosecutor, Assistant Public Defender
Recommendation: 86.3%
Sheryl L. Lohaus
Tenure: 9 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Omaha; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Director of Gross & Welch PC LLO
Recommendation: 83.3%
Darryl R. Lowe
Tenure: 22 years
Education: Alabama State University; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice, Douglas County Prosecutor
Recommendation: 51.3%
Craig Q. McDermott
Tenure: 15 years
Education: Creighton University; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice
Recommendation: 94%
Stephanie Steigleder Shearer
Tenure: 3 years
Education: University of Iowa; Creighton University Law School
Experience: Deputy County Attorney Felony Prosecutor
Recommendation: 92.9%
Douglas County Separate
Juvenile Court
Matthew R. Kahler
Tenure: 3 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln; University of Nebraska Law School
Experience: Criminal and Juvenile attorney, Deputy Douglas County Attorney
Recommendation: 93.2%
District Court – 2nd
Judicial District
Cass, Sarpy and Otoe counties
Stefanie A. Martinez
Tenure: 7 years
Education: Boston College; New York Law School
Experience: Private practice, Senior Deputy County Attorney, Douglas County Public Defender
Percent of attorneys in favor of retention: 90.2%
Michael A. Smith
Tenure: 4 years
Education: Creighton University; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice, Lead Deputy Sarpy County Attorney
Recommendation: 95.4%
George A. Thompson
Tenure: 4 years
Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln; University of Nebraska College of Law
Experience: Douglas County Attorney
Recommendation: 96.7%
County Court– 2nd
Judicial District
Cass, Sarpy and Otoe counties
Tricia A. Freeman
Tenure: 3 years
Education: University of Nebraska at Omaha; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Chief Deputy County Attorney, Adjunct professor at Creighton University School of Law
Recommendation: 93.6%
Todd J. Hutton
Tenure: 22 years
Education: Miami University; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Private practice, Deputy Douglas County Attorney
Recommendation: 99%
Sarpy County Separate
Juvenile Court
Lawrence D. Gendler
Tenure: 28 years
Education: University of Missouri at Columbia; Creighton University School of Law
Experience: Sarpy County Attorney
Recommendation: 96.1%
User login
Omaha Daily Record
The Daily Record
222 South 72nd Street, Suite 302
Omaha, Nebraska
68114
United States
Tele (402) 345-1303
Fax (402) 345-2351