Thomas D. Thalken
How Judge Thalken decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In a suppression R&R, Thalken applies a totality-of-the-circumstances / common-sense probable-cause analysis and is receptive to the Leon good-faith framing -- he found a reliable confidential informant and treated the affidavit's omission of the precise things-to-be-seized as non-material, recommending denial. But note the procedural sequel: the district judge remanded because the GOVERNMENT failed to get a properly-signed (sworn) affidavit into evidence before the magistrate, a reminder that at a Thalken suppression hearing the evidentiary record (here, a signed affidavit satisfying the Fourth Amendment oath/affirmation requirement) must actually be made, because new evidence cannot be added later on objection (Neb. Crim. R. 59.2(b)(2)).
“Judge Thalken concluded that under the totality of the circumstances, using a common sense approach, probable cause existed to issue the search warrant. Judge Thalken concluded that the Confidential Informant ('CI') was reliable, that the omission from the supporting affidavit of the things to be seized or place to be searched was not a material omission, and that the investigator seeking the warrant acted in good faith within the warrant's scope.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Judge Thalken therefore recommended that the Motion to Suppress (Filing No. 57) be denied.”
Thalken signed a comprehensive 14-paragraph Rule 26(c) protective order with a Written Assurance exhibit in a commercial insurance and banking dispute. It addressed confidentiality designations, access limits, third-party productions, deposition designations, inadvertent-disclosure clawback, return or destruction after 60 days, and the designating party's burden of proving confidentiality if challenged. The entered protective order did not resolve a contested motion and shows Thalken's civil discovery-management work.
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 383 days (N = 13).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 46 days (N = 5).
Judge Thalken sat in Omaha and carried a criminal-duty docket (initial appearances, detention, search-warrant and suppression matters) alongside civil pretrial management. A substantial share of his civil work came by the parties' consent under 28 U.S.C. 636(c), under which he presided over employment, ERISA, civil-rights, Federal Employers' Liability Act, product-liability, and commercial-contract cases through final judgment, jury trial, or bench trial. Durations below are filed-to-terminated for the 13 consent civil cases grounded in the motion timeline.
Put Judge Thalken's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Thalken actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Thalken's own signed orders and cites them.