Clerk of District Court

The Colfax County clerk of the district court is an elected office. The term of the office is four years. Each county in the state of Nebraska has a clerk of the district court performing the administrative duties associated with the court. Nebraska law states that counties with 7,000 inhabitants are required to have a clerk of the district court elected by the voters. District courts have general jurisdiction and are organized into 12 judicial districts to serve all 93 counties in the state.

Colfax County is in the 5th Judicial District, which also includes Boone, Butler, Hamilton, Merrick, Nance, Platte, Polk, Saunders, Seward, and York. Although the district courts have concurrent jurisdiction with county courts, district courts primarily hear all felony criminal cases, equity cases, domestic relations cases, and civil cases pursuant to Nebraska Revised Statute §24-517. The district court also functions as an appellate court in deciding appeals from county courts and various administrative agencies.

Services

As an administrative officer of the court the clerks of the district courts are responsible for the record keeping of criminal, civil cases, mental health records, maintenance of the court’s dockets, and processing judgments. The clerk also serves as a passport agent and is the ex-officio jury commissioner for both the county and the district court.