Jeffre Cheuvront
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District Court Judge Jeffre Cheuvront is a judge member of the Nebraska Judicial Qualifications Commission which is charged of selecting Supreme Court Justices and other Judicial Vacancies in the State of Nebraska.
Background
Judge Cheuvront is a District Court Judge based out of Lancaster County, Nebraska which serves Lincoln, Nebraska's second largest city
The "R" Word Ban Case
In 2007, Judge Cheuvront made national attention over his conduct in which he banned Tory Bowen a rape victim from saying "rape" and other words in a sexual assault trial, while he allowed Defense attorneys to use words such as "sex" and "intercourse" in the rape trial of Pamir Safi. A mistrial was declared in Safi's first trial when the jury deadlocked. His second trial failed to advance beyond jury selection when Cheuvront declared a mistrial, citing news coverage and public protests on Bowen's behalf. A federal lawsuit filed in 2007 in Lincoln contends Lancaster County District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront violated Tory Bowen's rights of due process and free speech by banning "rape," "sexual assault," "victim" and "assailant" from testimony in the November 2006 trial of Pamir Safi, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The trial ended in a hung jury. Cheuvront sought to prevent unfair prejudice. But Bowen (who agreed to use her name) said she couldn't testify accurately and effectively. Despite, it is filed in a federal court, there is a slim chance a federal court may hear a case on a state evidence matter.
Judicial Qualifications Commission
Judge Cheuvront was appointed by Democrat Governor of Nebraska Ben Nelson on October 9, 1998 to serve on the Judicial Qualifications Commission. Cheuvront was re-appointed on in 2001 and 2005. His term is set to expire on March 31, 2009.
