United States District Court for the District of Nebraska


The United States District Court for the District of Nebraska is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Nebraska. Court offices are in Omaha and Lincoln.
Appeals from the District of Nebraska are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Nebraska represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney is Joseph P. Kelly.
The Chief Judge of the District of Nebraska is Judge John M. Gerrard.

Notable case

In May 2005, Judge Joseph Bataillon struck down a constitutional amendment passed by Nebraska voters in 2000 that would have banned gay marriages. That decision, however, was reversed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In its opinion issued on July 14, 2006, the Eighth Circuit held: the amendment rationally related to legitimate state interests, and therefore did not violate the Equal Protection Clause; the amendment could not be considered a bill of attainder; the amendment did not violate homosexuals' First Amendment right to associate; and the amendment did not violate homosexuals' First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

Current judges


Former judges

Chief judges

Succession of seats

Footnotes