District Court

• Issuing writs and orders
• Filing and preserving all papers delivered to him or her
• Endorsing papers filed with him or her
• Making entry of return of every summons, subpoena, and order served
• Keeping the records, books, and papers pertaining to the court and recording its proceeding
• Preparing and filing the annual inventory statement of all county personal property in his or her custody and possession
• Providing and processing protection order applications
• Tracking all court costs, fees, fines, and restitution ordered on each case filed

Passport Application | Current Passport Fees

Bring your passport application to the Clerk of the District Court Office, along with the required proof of citizenship documents, passport photos, and photo identification, anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We are open over the lunch hour.

The following forms are available at the Clerk of the District Court Office:

• Passport Applications
• Protection Order Applications
• Voluntary Notice to Withhold Income Forms

Do you have forms to complete to file for divorce?
Pro Se forms may be downloaded from the Nebraska Judicial Branch website at supremecourt.nebraska.gov/forms or you may wish to contact the Legal Aid Society of Nebraska. Their toll-free number is 1-877-250-2016.

Do you complete requests for criminal record searches?
The Clerk of the District Court Office does not conduct record searches. Our records are open to the public, and we will direct you to the records available to be searched. 

How far back do your records go for the purpose of genealogy research?
We have records here on site that date back to the 1800s. We will assist by directing you to the books and records available, but any assistance will be as our time permits. Copies may be purchased for a nominal fee. The Nebraska Historical Society has many records, and you can contact them at history.nebraska.gov or 1-800-833-6747.

How do I find information about my child support, spousal support, or property settlement payments?
As of December 21, 2001, all child support payments are paid through the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center. If there is a judgment for spousal support with the child support order, the spousal support will be paid there also. You can contact them at 1-877-631-9973 or through their website: dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/child-support.aspx

If your spousal support judgment was not with a child support order, it will be paid through the Clerk of the District Court Office. Property settlement payments are also paid through this office. For payment information, you may contact our office at 402-563-4906.

Dear Juror:

IN THE INSTANCE THAT A TRIAL HAS BEEN SETTLED OR HAS BEEN MOVED TO A FUTURE DATE, OUR OFFICE MAY CONTACT YOU VIA THE TELEPHONE NUMBERS YOU HAVE LISTED ON YOUR JUROR QUALIFICATION FORM THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED.

OUR OFFICE WILL NEVER ASK FOR A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR DATE OF BIRTH TO CONFIRM YOUR IDENTITY. IF YOU RECEIVE A TELEPHONE CALL REQUESTING THIS INFORMATION FOR JURY DUTY PURPOSES, DO NOT RELEASE THIS INFORMATION AS IT MAY BE AN IDENTITY THEFT SCAM.

Last Updated at: 8-23-2024

PANEL E-2024:

YOU DO NOT NEED TO REPORT FOR JURY SERVICE ON:

• MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, AT 9:00 a.m.

PANEL F-2024:

YOU DO NEED TO REPORT FOR JURY SERVICE ON:

• MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2024, AND
• MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2024, BOTH AT 9:00 a.m.

FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RECEIVED A JUROR QUALIFICATION FORM IN THE MAIL AND HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL THE CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT OFFICE AT 402-563-4906.

Thank you for your continued courtesies and cooperation during this jury term. Please contact Marlene Vetick, Platte County, Columbus, Nebraska, District Court Clerk, at 402-563-4906 with any questions.

COUNTY COURT/JURY PANEL

Please contact Lindsay Meister, Platte County, Columbus, Nebraska, County Court Clerk/Magistrate, at 402-563-4905 with any questions regarding your appearance requirements.

NO CELL PHONES OR ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE ALLOWED TO BE USED DURING YOUR JURY SERVICE EXCEPT WITH PERMISSION FROM THE COURT.

You will be passing through a security metal detector prior to your admission into the courthouse. For your convenience, please do not bring any metal objects (such as pocketknives, nail files, etc.) with you or please leave them in your vehicle.

Any changes regarding your attendance will be posted on this website or at the following telephone numbers. Please call the Juror Line at 402-563-4954 for updates or the office at 402-563-4906 with any questions.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience.

 Please appear by 9:00 a.m. unless you have been excused by the district judge previously.

Please register in the Clerk of the District Court Office upon your arrival on each date listed above.

Welcome to jury duty in the Platte County District Court. We will do all that we can to make you comfortable and to answer any questions you might have as you fulfill this very important duty of your citizenship.

How was I chosen as a juror?

Jurors are chosen at random from current lists of persons ages 18 or older living in Platte County, Nebraska and are either registered voters or licensed drivers or have been issued a state identification card. Some people are chosen several times during their lifetime, while others are never chosen.

If you are a registered voter, licensed driver, or state identification card holder, you have the same chance of being chosen as someone else who meets those criteria.

If you are prospective juror, you will have received a summons requiring you to appear for jury duty during the next jury term of the Platte County District Court. Although the summons notifies you to appear on a variety of different dates, it is unlikely that you will actually be required to appear on all the dates indicated. This is because cases scheduled for trial will, on occasion, settle prior to the trial date. Likewise, it is possible that cases scheduled for trial will, by necessity, sometimes be continued. Whenever cases scheduled for trial might be settled or continued, this office will provide you with notice at the earliest possible opportunity that you will not be required to appear on a certain date or dates.

You are one of a larger panel, or venire, that have been summoned for jury duty during this term of court. From this larger panel, a jury of 12 persons will ultimately be selected to serve as jurors in given case. On occasion, one or two additional alternate jurors may also be selected.

When you report for jury duty, please check in at the Clerk of the District Court Office. The jury selection process will then commence. As a general rule, the jury selection process will last through the morning. However, this might vary depending on the nature of the case being tried. After jury selection has been completed, those members of the panel who are not selected as jurors or alternates will be excused and will be notified and reminded when to return for jury duty for the next scheduled trial.

Generally, trials in the district court average approximately two or three days to complete. Again, this is only a general rule of thumb, and the trial of any given case, depending on the circumstances unique to that case, may require more or less time to complete. During the jury selection process, the judge will usually indicate an estimate as to the length of time expected to complete the trial.

A prospective juror is required by law to appear for jury duty on all dates summoned. However, the judge may excuse a juror only upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity. Strict proof of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity will be required by the judge prior to considering a possible juror excuse. Jurors are rarely excused because of work obligations. In this regard, our law provides that any person summoned for jury duty shall not be subject to discharge from employment, loss of pay, loss of sick leave, loss of vacation time, or any other form of penalty, as a result of his or her absence from employment due to such jury duty. To request an excuse from jury duty for any given trial, if necessary, you must obtain from this office and fill out a written application for postponement of jury service. The judge will then review your request, and you will be advised of his decision.

You will be paid $35.00 per day for jury service, plus mileage outside the city limits.

Our office will try to make your jury service informative and pleasant. If you have questions, please feel free to call our office number: 402-563-4906.