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Two Lincoln County Judges in the 11th Judicial District received more than 73 percent votes for retention. Lincoln County District Judge Donald Rowlands received 10,649 votes for retention, or 73.76 percent, and 3,789 votes, or 26.24 percent, not to retain him. Lincoln County Judge Kent Turnbull received 73.17 percent of the vote to be retained as a judge, or 10,846 votes, and 3,978 votes not to retain him, or 26.83 percent. In Nebraska judges are appointed by the governor under a merit system known as the Missouri Plan. New judges face retention votes at the first election to occur more than three years after their appointments. After that, judges face retention votes every six years. Judges up for retention are prohibited by the state Code of Judicial Conduct from campaigning. Supreme Court Justice David Lanphier in 1996 became the first and, so far, only Nebraska judge removed from office by a retention vote since the state adopted the Missouri Plan in the early 1960s. In a recent Nebraska Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Poll, all three 11th Judicial District judges received nearly 90 percent retention ratings or above. Judge Turnbull received approval for retention by 89.55 percent of those attorneys who voted. That means that only 10.45 percent thought Turnbull should not be retained. Judge Rowlands received an 89.90 percent retention rating with only 10.10 percent answering that he should not be returned. Voters also chose to retain Keith County Judge Edward D. Steenburg by 73.76 percent. He received 10,649 votes for retention and 3,789 votes against.
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