Pillen appoints Derek Vaughn to Nebraska Supreme Court

Gov. Jim Pillen announced Monday he is appointing Douglas County District Court Judge Derek Vaughn to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Vaughn has been a district court judge in Douglas County since 2023. Before that, he served on the county court, after serving 14 years as a deputy Douglas County Attorney. Pillen said Vaughn’s court experience, community involvement, incredible reputation and commitment to the state made him a great choice. Vaughn promised to bring an impartial approach to the job.

“I always tell people … I have no agenda. This is your day in court, and I want people to feel that, even if you're upset with the decision, you were heard,” he said.

He also reflected on what he says to people who appear before Douglas County’s drug court, where he also serves.

“People may be telling you that ‘You're nothing,’ and I'm saying that ‘You matter. You're somebody.’ And it's wonderful when the light clicks back on,” he said.

Vaughn was raised in Omaha and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska College of Law. He is the first African American to be appointed to the Nebraska Supreme Court, and succeeds Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman, the first woman appointed, who retired Oct. 31.