--- title: "Kortnei N. Smith | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kortnei-n-smith-county-court-judge-nebraska-county-court-ne" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Kortnei N. Smith Nebraska County Court, District 11 · County Court Judge ## Profile - Court: Nebraska County Court, District 11 - State: Nebraska - Role: County Court Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge of the County Court, 11th Judicial District (Arthur, Chase, Dawson, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, Logan, Mc Pherson, Perkins, Red Willow, and Thomas Counties) — 2025-present - Her appointment was announced by Governor Jim Pillen on July 8, 2025, and she officially assumed the role of county court judge for the 11th Judicial District - Lincoln County Attorney’s Office Deputy County Attorney North Platte, NE — 2016-2025 - Prior to her tenure as a deputy county attorney, she served as an associate attorney at the law firm Waite, McWha and Heng in North Platte ### Education - Creighton University — J.D. (2015) ### Additional information - Waite, Mc Wha, and Heng Associate Attorney North Platte, NE — 2015-2016 - 2006 graduate of North Platte St. Patrick’s High School and has built her legal career in Nebraska, gaining extensive experience in both prosecution and civil matters - M.S. - She fills the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Edward D. Steenburg - Kortnei N. Smith, a native of North Platte, Nebraska, joined the position of county court judge for the 11th Judicial District, which encompasses Arthur, Chase, Dawson, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Perkins, Red Willow, and Thomas counties. - In this role, she handled a wide range of cases, including felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, juvenile cases, and mental health board hearings. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### media requests Scope: statewide Nebraska directs media requests to broadcast or photograph court proceedings to the Supreme Court media-coverage rules and published expanded-media-coverage process. Evidence excerpt: Media requests to broadcast or take still photos of court proceedings are governed by Nebraska Supreme Court rule §2-118 [Media Information and Court Coverage Protocol](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/rules/administrative-policies-schedules/media) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### non public areas Scope: statewide Nebraska requires media requests to film or photograph non-public courthouse areas to be submitted to the resident or presiding judge of the Judicial District. Evidence excerpt: Media requests to film or photograph in non-public areas, e.g. private offices or employee work areas not located in public areas must be submitted [Media Information and Court Coverage Protocol](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/rules/administrative-policies-schedules/media) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### trial court expanded coverage Scope: statewide Nebraska permits expanded news media coverage in county and district courtrooms unless the trial-court expanded-coverage rules provide otherwise. Evidence excerpt: Expanded news media coverage shall be permitted in the county and district courtrooms in Nebraska courts [§ 6-2001. Scope; limitations.](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-6-trial-courts/article-20-rules-expanded-news-media-coverage-nebraska-trial-courts/%C2%A7-6-2001-scope-limitations) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### juvenile court coverage Scope: statewide Nebraska does not permit expanded news media coverage in actions pending in Nebraska juvenile courts. Evidence excerpt: Expanded news media coverage therefore is not permitted in actions pending in Nebraska’s juvenile courts. [§ 6-2001. Scope; limitations.](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-6-trial-courts/article-20-rules-expanded-news-media-coverage-nebraska-trial-courts/%C2%A7-6-2001-scope-limitations) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### appellate media coverage Scope: statewide Nebraska permits broadcasting, televising, recording, and photographing in Supreme Court and Court of Appeals courtroom proceedings under Rule 2-117, subject to stated conditions. Evidence excerpt: broadcasting, televising, recording, and photographing will be permitted in all judicial proceedings in the courtroom during sessions [§ 2-117. Media coverage of proceedings before the Nebraska Supreme Court and the Nebraska Court of Appeals.](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-2-appeals/article-1-nebraska-court-rules-appellate-practice/%C2%A7-2-117-media-coverage-proceedings-nebraska-supreme-court-and-nebraska-court-appeals) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### appellate equipment Scope: statewide Nebraska appellate media equipment quantity and type are subject to Chief Justice discretion, and equipment location is designated by the Chief Justice or Chief Judge. Evidence excerpt: The quantity and types of equipment permitted in the courtroom shall be subject to the discretion of the Chief Justice [§ 2-117. Media coverage of proceedings before the Nebraska Supreme Court and the Nebraska Court of Appeals.](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-2-appeals/article-1-nebraska-court-rules-appellate-practice/%C2%A7-2-117-media-coverage-proceedings-nebraska-supreme-court-and-nebraska-court-appeals) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/courts/hon-kortnei-n-smith) - [Official roster](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/courts/hon-kortnei-n-smith) - [Nebraska Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/courts/hon-kortnei-n-smith) - [Media Information and Court Coverage Protocol](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/rules/administrative-policies-schedules/media) - [§ 6-2001. Scope; limitations.](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-6-trial-courts/article-20-rules-expanded-news-media-coverage-nebraska-trial-courts/%C2%A7-6-2001-scope-limitations) - [§ 2-117. Media coverage of proceedings before the Nebraska Supreme Court and the Nebraska Court of Appeals.](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-2-appeals/article-1-nebraska-court-rules-appellate-practice/%C2%A7-2-117-media-coverage-proceedings-nebraska-supreme-court-and-nebraska-court-appeals) - [hon-kortnei-n-smith](https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/hon-kortnei-n-smith) - [Official Nebraska current judicial roster](https://nebraskajudicial.gov/directories/county-court-judges) - [hon-kortnei-n-smith](https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/hon-kortnei-n-smith) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kortnei-n-smith-county-court-judge-nebraska-county-court-ne", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kortnei-n-smith-county-court-judge-nebraska-county-court-ne", "name": "Kortnei N. Smith | KnowJudges", "description": "Kortnei N. Smith, Nebraska County Court, District 11. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kortnei-n-smith-county-court-judge-nebraska-county-court-ne#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kortnei-n-smith-county-court-judge-nebraska-county-court-ne#judge", "name": "Kortnei N. Smith", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kortnei-n-smith-county-court-judge-nebraska-county-court-ne", "jobTitle": "County Court Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "Nebraska County Court, District 11" }, "sameAs": [ "https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/courts/hon-kortnei-n-smith" ], "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Creighton University School of Law, 2015 J.D. and Master of Science" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Nebraska", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/nebraska" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kortnei N. Smith", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kortnei-n-smith-county-court-judge-nebraska-county-court-ne" } ] } ] } ``` ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [§ 6-2001. Scope; limitations.](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-9b78337701e261589c5b3f96) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-6-trial-courts/article-20-rules-expanded-news-media-coverage-nebraska-trial-courts/%C2%A7-6-2001-scope-limitations). Collected 2026-07-26.