Four county judge nominees forwarded to Pillen

DAKOTA CITY - Two local candidates seeking to be the next county court judge were not selected to move on to the next step in the process.

Seven applicants - including Cedar County Attorney Nick Matney and Randolph attorney Keelan Holloway had seven minutes each to lay out their qualifications and persuade the Judicial Nominating Commission to forward their name onto the governor for consideration of the next county court judge in the Sixth Judicial District at a public hearing Wednesday in Dakota County.

At the end of that hearing, presided over by Chief Justice Michael Heavican, the Judicial Nominating Commission forwarded their top four candidates onto Gov. Jim Pillen. He will make the final decision on who will fill the shoes of retiring Judge Douglas Luebe and serve Cedar, Dixon, Burt, Dakota, Dodge, Thurston and Washington counties.

Pillen will choose from Sara Bauer, Fremont; Luke Henderson, Norfolk; Louvontree Hunter, Dakota City; and Patrick Runge, Omaha.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Matney said he applied to be county court judge because of a promise he made to his mother who died of breast cancer when he was 14 years old.

“Even though she ultimately lost her life as a result of that battle, she never allowed the disease to diminish the vibrancy of her spirit. My mother was an absolute force,” he said. “It’s with that same spirit, my mother asked me to make her a promise before she passed away. My mother asked me to promise her that I would never use her death as an excuse in my life. Believe me when I tell you that promise has remained with me all through these years and has acted as a course correction mechanism in my life. It has stayed with me and continues to stay with me.”

The promise and his background helps influence his approach to his role as Cedar County Attorney, he said.

“That’s one of the reason I’m so passionate about my job as the Cedar County attorney. I understand that people come into the courtroom sometimes and something happened in their life … sometimes a one size fits all approach isn’t always the best approach,” he said.

The late former Cedar County Attorney George Hirschbach as well as Matney’s brother, Edward, have also been strong influences in his life. Edward is a county court judge also in the Sixth Judicial District.

In his presentation Wednesday, Matney also covered his broad range of cases he’s worked on from complicated misdemeanors to guardian ad litem, disputed landlord-tenant cases and everything in-between.

“I’m familiar with the 24/7 responsibility that being the county court judge comes with. In my role as Cedar County attorney, I know that my responsibility doesn’t end when I leave the courtroom, when I leave the office, it may be 1 o’clock in the afternoon or 1 o’clock in the morning and I receive a call that needs my immediate attention,” Matney said.

Holloway focused on highlighting his experience in front of the commission Wednesday.

Along with a private practice, he has served as the city attorney for both Laurel (since 2011) and Randolph (since 2016). He has offices in both of those towns as well as in Hartington.

His case load weighs heavily on probate cases which can become complex due to varying personalties and issues within families.

“I also have a lot of experience in facilitating conflict resolution and mediation. . . . In a probate case, I can’t tell you how many times, there’s decades, history, years of interpersonal conflict with family members and a lot of that comes to a head when parents pass,” Holloway said. “I feel sometimes I’m more therapist than lawyer in some of those estates.”

Although he has some experience with criminal and juvenile cases, not as much as some of the other candidates, which was the topic of questioning by commission members. Holloway said what he lacks in experience he makes up in knowledge through specific training in those areas of law and the necessary resources to learn.

Holloway said his application to fill the judicial vacancy will probably be his only time before the Judicial Nominating Commission.

“I’m attached to Cedar County and this area. I know the people, the values of the communities here,” he said, adding vacancies don’t come available often.

Sheriff Larry Koranda, Cedar County Court Clerk Diane Sudbeck and Cedar County District Court Judge Bryan Meismer were in attendance at Wednesday’s 90-minute hearing along with candidates’ families and other supporters.

Melinda Wicks, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, was also among candidates for the county court judge position.