1 9 7 8 ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁judge ▁on ▁the ▁district ▁ 8 ▁court ▁of ▁Neb r aska . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁notable ▁cases ▁over ▁which ▁he ▁pres ided ▁were ▁the ▁b ri ber y ▁cases ▁against ▁then ▁Mayor ▁James ▁D wor ak ▁and ▁four ▁others ▁and ▁a ▁murder ▁case ▁against ▁Robert ▁Julian ▁Jacob s . ▁ ▁Also , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁judge ▁who ▁heard ▁the ▁first ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁legal ▁battle ▁that ▁occurred ▁when ▁O ma ha ▁an nex ed ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Mill ard ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Personal ▁and ▁civ ic ▁life ▁ ▁Mur phy ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Em m ett ▁and ▁Georgia ▁( Ad ams ). ▁ ▁Mur phy ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁first ▁class ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁Army ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁receiving ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁a ▁bronze ▁star ▁for ▁mer itor ious ▁service ▁from ▁February ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁to ▁April ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁Germany . ▁ ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁he ▁became ▁engaged ▁to ▁his ▁soon ▁to ▁be ▁wife , ▁Mary ▁Beth ▁Hill ▁( b . ▁December ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁in ▁O ma ha ), ▁daughter ▁of ▁Lloyd ▁Miller ▁Hill ▁( b . ▁June ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 8 6 9