Judge sets court date for Nebraska lawsuit fighting Omaha mask mandate

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The Omaha mask mandate case is set for trial.

Judge Shelly Stratman on Wednesday ordered the pre-trial hearing to take place Thursday morning, May 12; with the trial to follow a little more than a month later on Thursday morning, June 16.

The calendar updates come a day after Judge Shelly Stratman narrowed a list of 13 defendants named in the lawsuit filed last month by the State of Nebraska down to two: Douglas County and Health Director Dr. Lindsay Huse.

Last month, Judge Stratman declined the state’s motion to declare an injunction, allowing the city’s mask mandate to continue as the case progresses.

Dr. Huse put the Omaha mask mandate into effect on Wednesday, Jan. 12, with two benchmarks: one regarding hospital capacity and the other following the seven-day average of cases per 100,000 people.