The Douglas County Sheriff’s Offices says the body of Judge Mark Ashford was found in the courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
An attorney at the courthouse called law enforcement around 5:45 p.m. Omaha fire officials pronounced him dead at 6:10 p.m.
Judge Ashford was sworn into the 4th Judicial District Court in Douglas County in 2000. He had been a judge in the county for nearly 30 years. He was 66 years old and told family he planned to retire next year.
Judge Ashford graduated from Creighton Law School in 1978. He also worked at the District Attorney’s Office from 1980-1988.
Ashford handled adult drug court and the county’s young adult drug court. He most recently started as presiding judge of veterans treatment court, the work his family said he was most proud of.
Judge Ashford's brother is former Congressman Brad Ashford.