Aaron Kunz |
County Attorney |
Ross Luzum |
Deputy County Attorney |
The County Attorney is an elected position for a four-year term.
The office is generally open Monday-Friday from 8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm and is located on the third floor of the Merrick County Courthouse, 1510 18th Street, Central City, NE 68826. The office phone number is (308) 946-3861 and fax is (308) 946-3500. Emails can be addressed to co.attorney@merrickcountyne.org
It is the mission of the County Attorney to work closely in conjunction with law enforcement and the communities in Merrick County to build a relationship of trust and understanding to prevent crime and to apply the law in an unbiased, consistent manner to ensure justice and safety for our citizens. The County Attorney has a duty to prosecute crimes that occur in Merrick County when sufficient evidence warrants the belief that a person is guilty and can be convicted of a felony, misdemeanor, or infraction.
Insufficient Funds Checks:
Victims of insufficient funds checks who are considering criminal prosecution must submit to the County Attorney the following:
- The original check(s) in question, or what is provided to them by the bank
- A statutorily-mandated fee of $10.00 per check, which is later requested from the check writer and returned to the merchant upon collection
- Affidavit, which must be signed in front of a notary.
Best Practices for businesses or individuals accepting checks:
- Do not accept a check from any individual who cannot produce a valid photo identification that matches the account name on the check.
- Individual accepting the check should write on the check the date of birth of the individual, and the driver’s license number with issuing state.
- Compare the photo ID to the check writer and note on the check this has been done, i.e. “I.D. checked.”
- Individual accepting the check should note their own initials on the check to identify who received it.
Child Support:
In addition to criminal prosecutions, the County Attorney has a duty to establish paternity and child support for any child that receives public assistance and to enforce such orders via contempt proceedings or other enforcement actions. The County Attorney can also consider modifying child support obligations after the proper application is submitted to the Review and Modification Unit of the NE Department of Health and Human Services, which can be reached at (402) 471-1400. General child support questions can be addressed to the NE Child Support Customer Call Center at (402) 441-8715 or 1-877-631-9973 (toll-free).
The County Attorney also has a duty to provide opinions and advice to the County Board of Supervisors and other county officials, and to represent the County in all matters in which the state or county may have an interest.
The County Attorney is ex officio the County Coroner by statute.
Traffic Diversion (STOP):
The Merrick County Attorney contracts with Traffic Safety Plus to offer diversion for certain minor traffic offenses, including speeding not more than 19mph over speed limit. CDL Operator’s license holders and those that have taken a STOP class within the last three years are not eligible. Register by contacting Traffic Safety Plus at (402) 466-0033. A copy of your citation, along with the registration fee and court costs, a copy of your driver’s license, social security number, and daytime phone number must be submitted within 7 days before your court appearance, and the class must be completed within 30 days after receipt of the citation. Charges will be dismissed upon receipt of satisfactory proof of completion.
Juvenile Diversion:
The Mission of the Central Nebraska Juvenile Diversion Program is to serve the youth of our counties by providing a positive alternative to the formal justice system. This program strives to teach youth how to make responsible decisions so that they can become sound, capable, and dependable individuals.
Website: https://cennebyouthservices.wixsite.com/website
Attendance Matters - Truancy Prevention/Intervention
Contact info:
Jordanne McNeff
Diversion Coordinator
(3080 946-3160
mcjuvdiv@gmail.com
