Lincoln and Lancaster County Experiment With Night Courts

Lincoln and Lancaster County officials are testing a plan to hold night court, which would expand the hours people with outstanding misdemeanors could attend court.

The final night court test-session will be held on June 27 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Lincoln City Attorney Jeff Kirkpatrick said the first of the three sessions last year had a good turnout, but the session on May 30 did not. Kirkpatrick said city and county officials will need more time to determine if night court will be added permanently.

“This is a worthwhile experiment that the court system has made a commitment to," Kirkpatrick said. "And I think both the county and the city attorney’s office feel like it’s worthwhile. If we get enough interest and involvement from the community, it’s something we would like to continue doing, but that remains to be seen.”

Kirkpatrick said officials will decide the fate of the program after the final session. Night court is intended for workers and parents who can't take time off work to attend regular court hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.