A Madison County judge on Friday held a Nebraska woman in contempt after she repeatedly interrupted her court-appointed attorney and the court during a sentencing hearing following a jury conviction for theft by unlawful taking.
Sirena Schroeder, 45, appeared before 7th Judicial District Judge Michael Long for sentencing after a jury in August found her guilty of one count of theft by unlawful taking. The conviction stems from an October 2024 incident in Norfolk in which prosecutors say Schroeder stole about $2,200 from a former employer.
At the hearing Schroeder sharply criticized her court-appointed attorney, Marty Klein, and demanded a new lawyer, saying Klein had not adequately represented her or reviewed the presentence investigation report. Klein told the judge that he and Schroeder had spent two hours recently reviewing the report.
Long granted a recess so the attorney and client could review the presentence report further. When the hearing resumed, Schroeder continued to interrupt and press her objections, speaking over both Klein and the judge, according to a courtroom report by the Norfolk Daily News.
“You need to understand this is not a town hall meeting,” Judge Michael Long said in the courtroom, according to the Norfolk Daily News
The judge ultimately found Schroeder in contempt for her conduct in court. The contempt finding occurred during the ongoing sentencing proceeding; court records and the Norfolk Daily News account did not detail any further penalties imposed at that moment.
court procedure and presentence review
District court practice generally gives judges discretion to manage courtroom decorum and to ensure that sentencing proceedings proceed in an orderly fashion. Attorneys and probation officers prepare presentence investigation reports to assist judges in determining appropriate sentences after a conviction, and defendants have opportunities to raise objections and seek counsel, but courts also require parties to follow procedural rules and speak through counsel.
- Schroeder was convicted in August by a Madison County jury on one count of theft by unlawful taking.
- The alleged theft involved about $2,200 taken from a former employer in October 2024, according to court accounts.
- Judge Michael Long recessed the hearing to allow Schroeder and her attorney to review the presentence investigation report before resuming the proceeding.
The Norfolk Daily News reported from the courtroom. The contempt finding is part of the official record of Friday’s sentencing proceeding in Madison County District Court.
