New leadership has been elected by the Nebraska trial judges associations.

The groups installed new presidents during their annual meetings in mid-October, with terms beginning Oct. 16, according to a Nebraska Judicial Branch news release.

Judge John E. Samson of Blair, a judge of the District Court of the 6th Judicial District, is the new president of the Nebraska District Judges Association.

Samson has been a judge since 2003, and he previously was the Blair city attorney and the village attorney for Herman, Washington and Kennard. Prior to that, he served as county attorney in Washington County and was in private practice.

Judge Ross A. Stoffer of Madison, a judge of the County Court of the 7th Judicial District, is the new president of the Nebraska County Judges Association.

Stoffer has been a judge since 2006, and he previously was in private practice in Norfolk. He began his career at the Lincoln City Attorney’s Office.

Judge Vernon Daniels of Omaha, a judge in the Separate Juvenile Court of Douglas County, is the new president of the Nebraska Separate Juvenile Judges Association.

Daniels has been a judge since 2001, and he is the recipient of the Nebraska State Bar Association’s 2011 Diversity Award as well as its 2013 Award of Appreciation. He was awarded the Urban League’s 2012 Government Leader Award. Daniels is an adjunct professor at the Creighton University School of Law.

The state trial judge association presidents work with Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael G. Heavican and the Office of the State Court Administrator, and they have the power to appoint members to certain committees.

“Judges associations allow courts to network, problem-solve and share innovations across the state,” according to the Nebraska Judicial Branch release. “Their goal is to educate one another on national, state and local issues; and discuss ways to more efficiently function within the Judicial Branch of government.”