SAFFORD — Graham County announced that the Justice Courts will come together sooner than anticipated.
In a press release issued Wednesday, County Manager Dustin Welker said Justice Courts 1 and 2 will co-locate at the Safford Courthouse on Main Street, where Justice Court 1 currently operates.
Both Justices Griffith and Palmer will continue to operate their respective courts in the shared space.
Cause for the earlier-than-anticipated co-location is due to the county’s struggles employing enough staff to operate the courts independently.
Last February, the Board of Supervisors voted to consolidate the courts effective January 2023, closing Justice Court 2 in Pima and operating as a single Justice Court at the Safford Courthouse.
Following that decision, Griffith announced his retirement after more than 20 years on the Justice Court 1 bench, effective in January.
Palmer is seeking re-election as the county’s sole Justice of the Peace. He’s being challenged by Lance Lines.
