SAFFORD — On Monday, the Graham County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the consolidation of the county’s two Justice Courts into one.
“It’s all economies of scale, and the more you can do in one court the better,” County Manager Dustin Welker said in his presentation board.
The county will close Justice Court 2 in Pima and conduct all cases in Justice Court 1, which is located in the Graham County Courthouse in Safford. The change will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023, and the building that currently houses JP 2, which is owned by the Town of Pima, will be turned back over to the town.
“We have those kinds of changes. That’s just part of our climate that we live in,” said Supervisor Paul David. “We have to adapt to be resilient.”
The move is expected to save the county about $120,000 per year; however, there will not be a reduction in staff as all seven court employees will be retained at the court in Safford.
In Arizona, Justice Courts hear misdemeanor criminal cases, civil and criminal traffic cases, civil cases when the amount in dispute is $10,000 or less, and small claims of $3,500 or less. Justice Court can also conduct preliminary hearings for felony criminal cases.
Justice Court is presided over by an elected Justice of the Peace. The Justice of the Peace for Justice Court 1 is Garry Griffith and in Justice Court 2 it’s Wyatt Palmer. Terms for both end this year and for one to continue presiding over the newly consolidated Justice Court, they must face each other in the 2022 election.
