Opinion ID: 2120357
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: juvenile case

Text: In October 2007, L.W., a juvenile, came under the jurisdiction of the Lincoln County Court sitting as a juvenile court, and the respondent placed her on probation. L.W. was prosecuted by Harling, and L.W.'s assigned caseworker was Megan Luebbe, of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. L.W. was also a player on the softball team that the respondent later agreed to coach. In March 2008, after the respondent agreed to coach L.W.'s softball team, Harling filed a motion to revoke L.W.'s probation. The respondent recused himself from the case. Nonetheless, after Luebbe appeared in the respondent's court on another matter, the respondent called Luebbe into his chambers and told her he was speaking to her as a softball coach and not as a judge. The respondent explained his interest in L.W.'s case, talked about her talent as a player, and asked about her placement recommendations. Later, in order to facilitate L.W.'s participation with the team, the respondent and his wife served as her chaperones, which generally meant that after L.W.'s father dropped her off at tournaments, the respondent and his wife watched her. The respondent had chaperoned other players in the past, although none had been involved in the juvenile court system. Ultimately, L.W. was allowed to participate in softball tournaments she would not have been able to attend had the respondent not agreed to chaperone her. And while L.W.'s juvenile case was pending, the respondent spoke to Harling several times about the case. On one occasion, the respondent asked Harling to `take care of [his] short-stop,' although the respondent later said he had just been teasing Harling. On other occasions, the respondent asked Harling about L.W.'s whereabouts and whether she would be permitted to play softball and travel with the team. The respondent also had several contacts with Luebbe regarding L.W.'s disposition. And despite the fact that the county judge handling the case advised the respondent that he would not discuss the case with the respondent, the respondent asked the assigned judge one morning, over coffee, whether L.W.'s case had proceeded to disposition.