Category Archives: Williams Justice Center

Williams City Council sends Justice Court IGA back for more study

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williams-justice-courtWILLIAMS — The Williams City Council considered a proposal to revise the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Williams Justice Court at the meeting on Thursday the 14th. The proposal was to provide more money for the addition of a bailiff and a 2.5% merit raise for the county employees acting on behalf of the city.

The City of Williams has the authority to conduct its own city court business for violations of Williams ordinances. The city could hire its own magistrate, impose and collect fines and so-forth. The Williams Justice Court provides these services to the city under the terms of the IGA for a cost. The original IGA did not account for the services of a bailiff or merit raises for employees.

Under the proposed revisions to the IGA, the city would pay 25% of the services of the bailiff added to the Williams Justice Court. This would add approximately $5,550 annually to the agreement. The position of bailiff was added without consulting the City of Williams.

Judge Krombeen explained that the bailiff position was necessary because the court occasionally reviews cases where disputing parties may become violent. The Williams Police Department may not be able to provide security in those cases. Judge Krombeen explained that the court was responsible for security.

While many cases are heard via video link with the Flagstaff Detention Center, there are cases where the defendant has been released on bail to appear in court at a later date. For example, in a domestic dispute situation, the police will usually take one of the parties into custody for safety, but that person may be released on bail. Both of the disputing parties would then appear in person for the court date creating a possible situation in the court.

Judge Krombeen explained,

“But the protective orders and the other types of cases that we are dealing with on a weekly basis are the bigger portion of the reality of the challenge that we face.

We keep a log of all of the weapons that the bailiff has taken off of folks coming into the court room over the last three-years and its a surprising number. I think I reported in the previous report we’ve had someone show up with swords in the court and we’ve had a number of incidents; crimes committed. Victims have been victimized at the court house and I’ve reported that information to you in the last couple of years.”

The City Council did not necessarily object to adding the bailiff. In fact Councilman Lee Payne indicated that he was surprised that there was not a State law requiring a bailiff.

Vice Mayor Don Dent said after the meeting that the council receives reports from the police department daily and he was surprised to see an increase in domestic violence cases in Williams.

The 2.5% merit raise was a major concern to the Council. The City Council agreed that it was an oversight on the part of the IGA, but they were concerned about the figure and the fact that they had no oversight into the merit increases as they do with other city employees.

Another point of contention was that if the city agreed to a flat 2.5% each year and the county pay raise was less than that figure, where would the extra money go? They were concerned that they could not account for the expenditures of money if they paid the 2.5% and the merit increase for the year was less than that.

Councilman Payne said that it would be hard to explain to city employees why the City is paying for a flat 2.5% pay raise for the county employees conducting city business when they might only be able to give proper city employees less of a pay raise or no pay raise at all for that same year.

Judge Krombeen pointed out that there were no city employees at the Williams Justice Center, but county employees conducting city business.

Vice Mayor Don Dent suggested that the IGA should read that the City of Williams would pay whatever the merit raise for the county is each year up to the 2.5%, but not obligate to a fixed 2.5% figure.

Councilman Craig Fritsinger summed up the council position.

“I won’t sign that,” he said. “I won’t agree to that and I don’t think anyone on the council would agree to that. From my perspective, what you said is perfectly appropriate. I would like to have you bring back a re-written document that eliminates that two-and-a-half every year. We can’t explain that to the pubic, to the newspaper, to our employees…. So change it. Bring it back. We’ll work on it.”

The Council voted to table the IGA and have Councilmen Bernie Hiemenz, Jim Wurgler and Frank McNelly work with the City Manager to study the proposal and return with a more equitable proposal for the city.
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At the meeting the city councilman unanimously voted to approve the 2015-2016 budget. They also agreed to accept a Joint Project Agreement to conduct pavement maintenance on the runway at H.A. Clark Memorial Field. According to Brandon Buchanan, the city would be responsible for 10% of the cost of the repair.

“We would be responsible for ten-percent of that which would be $98,000 of the almost nine-million dollar cost of the project,” Buchanan said.

Williams Justice Center holds Law Day event

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640-LawDay05-07-01WILLIAMS — All of the law enforcement agencies of the State represented themselves, yesterday, in gathering to celebrate Law Day.

Law Day is May 1. Justice Robert Krombeen explained that several events were being held in Flagstaff, so he decided to hold the Williams event yesterday.

Representatives were available for questions from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Coconino County Sheriff’s Department, Arizona Game and Fish, and Williams Police Department.

The Coconino County Sheriff set up a display for the Coconino Emergency Response Team. The Law Enforcement agencies also brought in a few of the vehicles they use in the performance of their duties including the DPS helicopter.

The idea of Law Day was originally proposed by the American Bar Association in 1957. In 1958 on May 1, President Dwight D. Eisenhower made a proclamation declaring May 1 of that year as Law Day to honor the role of law in the creation of the United States. Congress created the the observance of the date annually in 1961.

Officers of Arizona Game and Fish and Department of Public Safety at the Game and Fish display.

Officers of Arizona Game and Fish and Department of Public Safety at the Game and Fish display.


CERT display by Sheriff's Department.

CERT display by Sheriff’s Department.


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From the Bench: From the ashes…

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rob-krombeenby Justice of the Peace Robert Krombeen

This past month on June 28th, while at the judicial conference in Phoenix, I sat down with Judge Anna Mary Glaab from the Yarnell Justice Court and spoke with her about the fond memories I had of Yarnell while working for Yavapai County back in the 80’s. Neither of us knew at that time that lightning had just struck a mountain and started a fire that would change the community and so many lives forever. Judge Glaab reported this week that two of the four members of her staff lost their homes and possessions. The fire totally caught the community and Judge Glaab’s court by surprise, and now she is working diligently to continue and bring back services to the court. Courts in Baghdad, Prescott, and Mayer are scrambling to provide services for the most pressing and time-sensitive matters at that court. Please continue to keep the community and those families in your thoughts and prayers, as now the challenges of the losses really come to light as families attempt to rebuild their lives.

Because of possibility for that and other types of interruptions at our court, the Williams Municipal and Justice Courts have been working together with Coconino County Court Administration to develop our Continuous Operations (COOP) plan to enable our courts to continue providing services during any unanticipated emergency or contingency. The plan would cover a wide range of possible disruptions including forest fire, winter blizzard, gas leak or other evacuation, court facility structural failure, or other similar events which would cause a major interruption to the operations of our courts. COOP plans are being developed by proactive courts across the state and are being implemented in all of the Coconino County Court facilities. We have two off-site court locations identified and approved for our use in the event of an emergency, and a cache of all court supplies required for continued operations will be stored and maintained at a location outside of our facility.

Court Manager Jennifer Carter has selected Williams High School student Jaiden Pona to be our second high school intern during the upcoming school year. Jaiden joins Devin McNelly in the second year of our internship program at the courts. We applaud Jennifer’s investment of energy and effort in our community’s youth by providing a learning environment and an opportunity for our students to experience the criminal justice system and the operation of our courts.

Continuing court during emergency situations

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tj-20130412-01WILLIAMS—The weight of snow has just collapsed the roof. The snow has caused a train to derail on Seventh street sparking a horrendous forest fire. The fire is melting the snow causing flooding. The flooding freezes over Railroad Avenue causing a semi to skid out of control into the building. Okay, not all of those things are likely to happen at one time, but something might happen to cause the evacuation of the Williams Justice Center. The staff of the Williams Justice Center will have to have a way to provide important court services after that.

The Williams Municipal and Justice Courts are working together with Coconino County Court Administration to develop our Continuous Operations (COOP) plan to enable our courts to continue providing services during any unanticipated emergency or contingency.

“The court has to be able to issue orders—court orders—and those things 24/7. We have to be able to provide orders of protection and other court orders during business hours and that take precedence in court,” Justice of the Peace Robert Krombeen explained.

“If somebody’s arrested in the city they have to be seen by the JP or a magistrate within twenty-four hours. They have to be. For a felony—a homicide, for example—they would be released in twenty-four hours. That’s required by law and the Arizona Constitution.”

The Flagstaff Court system has their own system as part of the County emergency plan. “They have the specifics of their plan in place where they have other sites in the greater Flagstaff area where they could set up their court, as well, so that they could maintain court within their precinct.”

Krombeen explained that our plan has two alternative sites within our precinct so that we can maintain court in this area. “If something really weird happened where it was going to be a longer term, we could potentially go to Flagstaff. But it’s our goal and our plan to set up to have those services provided right here.”

One of the sites being considered is the Coconino Community College building which is being turned over to the high school. It has facilities to allow video court similar to the facilities in the Williams Justice Center. The other location is the Clark Memorial Airport which has sufficient parking and Internet facilities that could allow the same function.

So if an emergency should occur in any of the areas serviced by the Williams Justice Center, do not try to take advantage of the situation. You will not pass go, you may loose $200 and you may go to jail.