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%