Panel sends Pillen four finalists for Nebraska chief justice
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen will choose among four applicants for the state’s next chief justice.
On Friday, the Judicial Nominating Commission held a public hearing and interviewed the candidates: Judge Jeffrey Funke, Judge Ryan Post, Judge David Bargen and Judge PaTricia Freeman.
The commission then forwarded the names of all four applicants to Pillen for consideration.
Funke has been a judge on the Nebraska Supreme Court since 2016.
Post has served as on the bench in Lancaster County District Court since 2007 and before that spent six years as an assistant state attorney general.
Bargen is a judge in the 1st Judicial District, which covers Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, Saline and Thayer counties.
He became a judge in 2022 after 16 years in private practice.
Freeman sits on the bench in the 2nd Judicial District, which covers Cass, Otoe and Sarpy counties.
She was appointed in 2022 after a 23-year career in the Sarpy County Attorney’s Office.
Chief Justice Mike Heavican will retire on Oct. 31.
It’s not clear when Pillen will pick his replacement.
