Lincoln, Neb. — Governor Pete Ricketts on Monday appointed Michelle “Shellie” Sabata of Lincoln to the Separate Juvenile Court of Lancaster County.
Sabata, 49, has served as Deputy County Attorney in the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office since 1998. As Deputy County Attorney, her primary duties included reviewing investigations to make charging decisions in law violation and abuse/neglect cases on behalf of juveniles. Further duties included presenting evidence for the purpose of adjudicating cases and implementing rehabilitative plans for families appearing in Juvenile Court as well as training new deputy county attorneys. She has spent many years serving on both the Lancaster County Juvenile Drug Treatment Court as well as the Lancaster County Family Drug Court.
Sabata holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Doane College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law. She is a member of the Nebraska Bar Association, American Bar Association, National District Attorneys Association, and Nebraska County Attorneys Association.
A lifelong Lincolnite, Sabata is also active in the community as an adjunct professor at Concordia University-Nebraska, a volunteer judge for mock trial and oral argument competitions at the University of Nebraska College of Law, and a long-time volunteer with local youth sports organizations. She is also passionate about serving on the Leadership Council of HopeLNK Suicide Prevention Coalition.
She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Linda S. Porter.
