Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Butler County, Nebraska, has about 8,400 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Butler County District Court and the County Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of the District Court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Butler County public records, Butler County arrest records, Butler County warrants, Butler County inmate search, Butler County criminal records, Nebraska arrest records and Nebraska inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Butler County
Court cases from Butler County are filed in the Butler County District Court, which hears felonies, the larger civil cases and divorces.
Below it, the County Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, probate, small claims and juvenile matters.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of the District Court.
The Clerk of the District Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Nebraska Public Records Statutes.
Looking Up a Case from Butler County
For Butler County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/butler-county-court (page title: Butler County Court | Nebraska Judicial Branch), phone 402-367-7480, 451 North 5th Street David City NE 68632, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026. That page belongs to a lower court, the County Court, not to the Butler County District Court.
Statewide, Nebraska Trial Court Case Search is the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
The Nebraska court page SearchSystems verified is at nebraskajudicial.gov/e-services/case-information-eservices.
What Reaches the Court from Butler County
The Butler County Sheriff's Office reported 151 arrests to the FBI for 2022; the County Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Butler County District Court or the County Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at butlercountyne.gov/attorney-county (page title: County Attorney | Butler County), phone 402-367-7470, 451 N. 5th Street David City, NE 68632, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Butler County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Butler County criminal records, Butler County traffic tickets, Butler County DUI and Butler County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Butler County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Butler County and Nebraska. These court pages from its Butler County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Nebraska JUSTICE Case Search (nebraska.gov)
Cities in Butler County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Butler County District Court or the County Court.
The cities and towns in the county are David City, Bellwood, Rising City, Brainard, Dwight, Ulysses, Octavia, Bruno, Linwood, Abie, Garrison and Surprise.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Butler County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nebraskajudicial.gov, phone 402-367-7480; it belongs to a lower court, the County Court, not to the Butler County District Court. Statewide, Nebraska Trial Court Case Search is the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
Which court hears felonies in Butler County?
The Butler County District Court, which hears felonies, the larger civil cases and divorces. The County Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, probate, small claims and juvenile matters.
Who keeps the court records in Butler County?
The Clerk of the District Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Nebraska?
Yes: Nebraska Trial Court Case Search, the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
Is this the official Butler County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.