STRATEGIC PILLARS
Serving the Public
Delivering Timely Justice
Court Access, Facilities,
Infrastructure
Engaged Staff
Roman Corinthian
columns were
illustriously
sculpted and at
times used as
"victory columns"
to commemorate
success in military
campaigns

Community Collaboration and
Outreach

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message from the Presiding
Engaged Staff………..…….…X
Judge………………………………..…II
Serving the Public……………IV

Committee Participation…XI

Community Collaboration &
Delivering Timely Justice
Outreach…..…………..……..…XII
……………………………………….……VI
Court Access, Facilities,
Infrastructure…..………………VII

By the Numbers……..……..VIII

Court Statistics….……..…XV
Probation Statistics…….XVI
Success Stories..……….XVII

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDING JUDGE
Greetings:
The Mohave County Courts and Probation Department continue to work hard to serve the residents and
visitors who participate in the court system. Judicial officers and staff enthusiastically provide services
and programs that are rigorous in nature and designed to provide quality service to help ensure timely
justice is provided in an innovative and professional manner. New programs have been introduced this
past year in an effort to enhance services to the public and staff continue to explore new ways to
improve access to information. New judicial officers and staff have joined the courts due to retirement
and other opportunities. This annual report details many of the new and ongoing projects that are
enhancing the services of the court and helping to improve the services that are available to the citizens
of Mohave County.
Extensive work has been completed on the design of a new court building and the remodel of the
existing courthouse and annex in Kingman. All interior and exterior design work is complete and the
project has moved into the construction document phase. Several meetings with the City of Kingman
were held and everything appears to be moving forward with the goal of starting construction on the
new building in the coming year. The new building and the re-model of the existing building will
ultimately provide the courts and the pubic with necessary new space, will improve access for the public,
provide improved security, allow the court to better manage the workload and provide greater services
to individuals within the community.
The Superior Court was challenged with the opportunity to be one of the early adopters of the State
Courts eBench and eFiling systems. Extensive time was spent by staff from the Clerk’s office and the IT
department to review the systems and help make improvements in them before final roll-out to the
court in early 2017. The considerable work and expertise provided by local staff helped improve the
applications prior to their implementation here and in other counties throughout the State.
We were pleased to again host the Court of Appeals at the Lake Havasu City High School in March of this
year. Their visit provided opportunities for local students and members of the public to participate in the
process, ask questions of the Judges and visit with members of the judicial community. Many other
positive programs continue to be developed and expanded within the court so I encourage you to read
through this report to learn of the many efforts that are being done to improve court processes and
procedures.
I again express appreciation for the continued support of the Arizona Supreme Court, the County Board
of Supervisors and County Management in our efforts to accomplish the mission of the Court. I am
thankful for the dedicated work of the judicial officers and court staff who put forth their best efforts
each and every day to help keep the courts working in an efficient and productive manner.
Charles W. Gurtler, Jr.
Presiding Judge

Ancient Greek “Lawbook”

Top Left: Lake Havasu Wellness Program Hike Top Right: Starting Line of the
Superhero 5k Middle: Judge Conn & Sherri Cullison Retirement Bottom Left: Tracy
Doggett & Lacie Robbins at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day 60 Mile Walk Bottom Right:
Awards given to the children participants of the Superhero 5k Run/Walk

Draco, the first “Lawgiver”
outlined rules for adoption,
inheritance and homicide

S E RV I N G T H E P U B L I C
Youth Court
The Lake Havasu City Youth Court provides support for Justice
Involved Youth and their families and positively affect adolescent
development. Our community takes the future success of our
youth very seriously. As an alternative to simply imposing
sanctions such as fines for the parents to pay; LHCYC has adopted
a Post Adjudicated alternative route for its youth.
Through
personal and professional assessment, the LHCYC has found that
there are many youth with underlying issues that are influencing
them to stay out after curfew, ditch school or experiment with
alcohol or tobacco. In the Lake Havasu City Youth Court our goal is
to end the cycle of our youth reoffending and coming back
through our Court system or a higher Court. LHCYC works with a
….. of community resources to share information and make recommendations for the
team
youth to make better choices for their future. This team includes the LHCPD, Interagency
Council, Southwest Behavioral Health Services, Mohave County Probation, Arizona@Work,
LHHS Counselor and Thunderbolt Middle School Principal and ISS Supervisor. Each of these
members meet on a biweekly basis with Youth Court staff to collaborate and share
information from the youth’s treatment Court graduate recidivism is 25%. Since the
inception of the LHCYC we have served 144 Youth and their families. Currently there are
106 youth in our program with 38 successfully completed the program. Our current
graduate recidivism rate is 7.02%. progress in individual action plans to their progress in
educational goals. These action plans are put into place and imposed at sentencing in lieu
…

of simply setting a fine for parents or guardians to pay. This helps
to create accountability for the youth with attendance in school,
maintaining good grades, learning to set boundaries and goals for
their future. This past year, the LHCYC implemented 2 successful
programs at no cost to the youth and their parent. Our first
program we call the ‘7 at 7’ program. Each Saturday morning at
7:00 a.m., the youth and their parent must appear at the middle
school track to complete 7 laps. This was put into place as an
alternative to community restitution hours. The youth is given
credit for 2 hours of community restitution and if their parent or
guardian participates along with them, they are given double
credit. The beauty of this program is that members of the
staffing team appear on ………….
their own time to walk with the youth and their family members.
This has given an opportunity for the youth to share anything they like in an open … and
non-judgmental environment. The second program implemented this year is the
‘Strengthening Families Project.’ This program is offered to all Mohave County families
through Arizona Youth Partnership available at #928-692-5889 and is supported by the
Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith, and Family as well as the Arizona Parents Commission.
This eight week educational program is free and provides dinner with the family every
week before allowing the youth and the parent opportunities to obtain skills to help them
resist peer pressure and create healthy communication. We have had 14 families
successfully complete this program with positive feedback.

Civil Traffic

Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking (MVST) Liaison

In order to improve customer service and provide better information to the public, civil
traffic information has now been added to Lake Havasu City’s website, LHCAZ.GOV. This
information was previously only available on the Mohave County website,
MOHAVECOURTS.COM, or on paper handouts given to drivers by the citing officer. Drivers
that receive civil traffic tickets can go online to find out what their options are. They can
pay online, request civil traffic hearings, or obtain information about defensive driving
classes. Social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter are also now being used to
provide this information to the public. Having this information available online benefits
….....
drivers a great deal. We have a lot
of out of state visitors that
appreciate not having to come back
for a court date if it is not required.
We also anticipate these additional
sources of information will reduce
the number of phone calls and walk
in customers to the court.

In 2015, Deputy Probation Officer Senior, Natalie Eggers
was chosen to be Mohave County Probation’s Minor
Victims of Sex Trafficking Liaison. Natalie attended an initial
training on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in Arizona,
along with other County Specialists from around the state.
Since that time, Natalie has continued her education in the
field of Minor Victims and had worked to bring that
knowledge to Mohave County. Additionally, Natalie
teaches an approved curriculum to all new officers
(Detention and Probation) on how to recognize the signs of
trafficking,
how to respond appropriately and what tools may serve as a preventative
.
measure. As a result of awareness and recognition that has been raised on this issue,
Mohave County Probation will host our 4th annual Girl’s Day Out event with an emphasis
on Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking. Streetlight USA will be there to empower the girls with
survivor stories, a speaker from Katie’s Way will educate them on dating violence and a
basic class on self-defense will be administered for the girls. We look forward to this event
and educating and empowering our youth. To date, our department has provided services
to four (4) confirmed youth who have been victimized and successfully referred them to
services.

S E RV I N G T H E P U B L I C
E-Filing in Mohave County

1st Annual Recreation for Recovery

On March 29, 2016 Chief Justice Scott
Bales signed Administrative Order 2016020 which lays out policies for electronic
filing of civil cases in superior court
locations other than Maricopa and Pima
counties. Mohave County was the second
rural county to go live with eFiling in June
..2017. Filers can choose from either the eFileAZ or AZTurboCourt filing portals to
electronically submit their documents to Superior Court. This has greatly improved access
to the Court by providing 24-hour access to file court documents and pay filing fees in a
safe, secure manner. Court documents can also be viewed and printed online. The Court
saw over 100 filings in the first two months of online service and about 30 new civil cases.
The submissions of civil documents to the Court has never been easier and technological
enhancements continue to be developed and rolled out to continually improve the filing
experience.

On July 23, 2016 Juvenile Drug Court
Teams and participants gathered for
the 1st Annual Recreation for
Recovery. This year’s recreation was
a softball tournament between the
three major cities of Mohave County.
These teams provide an opportunity
for the judicial employees who work
with youth in the court system to
show there youth what having a good
time without the use of drugs and
alcohol looks and feels like.

2nd Annual Superhero 5K Run/Walk & Kids Dash
On April 15, 2017 the 2nd Annual Superhero 5k and Kids
Dash was held. There were close to 200 participants and
many dressed in their favorite superhero costumes like
Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman and The Hulk. The
proceeds from the event go to the CASA Council of Mohave
County. The Council is the fundraising arm of the CASA
Organization which advocates in court for children in foster
care.

6th Annual Northwest Arizona Infant and Toddler Mental Health
Symposium
The Mohave County Superior Court
Team hosted their 6th Annual
Northwest Arizona Infant and
Toddler Mental Health Symposium
on April 4-5, 2017. Over 230
professionals from across Arizona
gathered at the London Bridge
Resort in Lake Havasu City for two
days of various workshops,
networking and learning from one
another. The event was free to all
attendees and funded by Arizona’s
First Things First.

Mohave County Bullhead City Court Solar Panel Project
The Mohave County Court solar panel project was partially funded by Mohave County
Electric Cooperative’s Solar Initiative for the community. This program is part of MEC’s
renewable energy plan which is funded by a surcharge on members bills that is mandated
by the Arizona Corporation Commission. MEC’s Solar Initiative for the community
program funds solar panel projects that reduce costs for facilities operated primarily from
collected taxes, which benefits all members as taxpayers.

D E L IV E R I N G T I M E L Y J U S T I C E
Increase in Jurors summoned

Strategic Agenda Award Recipients

During fiscal year 2017 there was a 24% increase in jury trials held from the prior fiscal year.
The Superior Court held 72 jury trials in 2017. The increase in trials also led to an increase
of jurors summoned to appear. The number of jurors summoned was 8,884, an increase of
18% from the prior fiscal year. With the increase in jury trials, there has also been a three
percent increase in the amount of monies paid to jurors for a total of $221,688.37. This
fiscal year there were a total of 1,523 jurors who failed to appear when summoned. This
was an increase of 8% from the previous year. As a result, there were 57 Orders to Show
Cause issued for the jurors with three or more failures to appear.

On October 26, 2016 Dale
Herren and Terra Sears
from the Mohave County
Probation
Department
received
the
2016
Strategic Agenda Award
from Chief Justice Bales,
Arizona Supreme Court,
for
their
work
in
developing a Runaway
Handbook.
Working as
Intake
Officers
with
Mohave County’s Juvenile
Court Services Program, they found a need and created a solution
that protects children,
.
families and communities.

Mediation Services
During the fiscal year 2017, the Mediation Department
continued to provide great service to the citizens of
Mohave County. During the fiscal year, 322 attendees
participated in the Parent Education Class either in
person or online. For the High Conflict Class, mediation
trained 45 participants during the course of the 4
scheduled classes. 513 Mediation Sessions were set in
which 321 took place. Out of the sessions that took
place, 49% resulted in full agreements between the
parties, 14% resulted in partial agreements and only
22% resulted in agreements without a signature page
returned by the parties.

ediation agreements between the pain partial agreements, and only 70 re

Sue Gilbertson Leadership Award Recipient
On March 20, 2017 Superior Court Judge Richard Weiss was honored with the Sue
……………..
Gilbertson Leadership Award for his
leadership in coordinating a court
team aimed at improving outcomes for
young children in foster care. The
program has been successful in
obtaining permanency for many zero
to three-year-olds removed by the
Department of Child Safety and is
serving as a model for similar efforts
across the state.

Remote Interpreter Programs
Further expansion of our interpreter system has provided ad-hoc interpretation services
to our customers at the front counter. This is done by the deployment of multiple tablets
at the front counters of our Limited and Superior Court offices. This service allows the
clerk to connect to a video interpreter within a matter of seconds for all unplanned
interpretation needs.

Time Standards Reporting
Caseflow management is an essential part of operating a Court
efficiently. Part of this process includes the detailed reporting of
all case types. The Courts in Mohave County have always
focused on reporting cases and this past year additional state
…….
standard reporting requirements have been expanded.
The Court IT team has spent a great deal of time
creating and automating these new reports to meet the
requirements outlined by the State Supreme Court to
provide the management staff the data necessary to
identify possible areas of improvement.

Self-Help Videos
Court IT continues to expand the public self-help videos to assist the public on
specific court related areas such as Divorce with Children and Divorce without
Children. The next video in the series will be a self-help video for filing a Petition
for Post Conviction Relief. This upcoming video will assist pro-per parties request
relief after being sentenced in criminal matters.

COURT ACCESS, FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE
New Superior Court Judge

July

New Superior Courthouse and Remodel Project
The Mohave County Courts welcomed a
new Judicial Officer shortly after the
conclusion of Fiscal Year 2017. July 2017,
the Honorable Steven C. Moss was
appointed as the Division III Judge for the
Superior Court.
Judge Moss said
“Governor Ducey appointing me to the
Superior Court is both an honor and
humbling at the same time. I will strive
to repay that trust by serving the citizens
of Mohave County to the best of my
ability.” Judge Moss was appointed to fill
the vacancy from the retirement of
Superior Court Judge Steven F. Conn.

Courtroom Evidence Presentation and Audio Systems upgrades
Audio systems in selected Courtrooms were upgraded to allow for a fully immersive audio
system allowing all parties in the hearing to speak and hear one another clearly regardless
if the party is participating via a video feed or teleconference.

E-bench
A very unique tool set has been built and installed for
the Judges in Mohave County. This tool set called Ebench allows multiple systems to be joined
electronically into one view for the Judges and
removes the need to search through individual files
for hard copies of case documents.

Security Team
In April 2017 the Lake Havasu City Limited Jurisdiction Court received a Bailiff as part of the
County’s pilot program. Shortly after Robin Richardson joined the court, the Security
Team was created. This team consists of 5 staff members who meet briefly every 2 to 4
weeks to discuss, prevent and minimize potential security issues and safety concerns. To
date, the team accomplishments include sending out weekly security tips, setting up
Mental Health awareness and training classes, fire drill training and the purchase of clip
boards at all front counter windows to put credit cards, money and receipts on to reduce
the risk of potential harm. The team has several projects in the works as well. The Security
Team’s mission is to have every employee make it home safely every night.

Work continues on
the development of
the architectural and
construction drawings
for a new Superior
Courthouse
and
remodel
of
the
existing
historic
……….. in Kingman. Additionally, plans to remodel the annex are also included in this
building
project which will provide space for the Kingman/ Cerbat Justice Court.
Court and
County staff are working with the architectural firm of Dick & Fritsche Design Group to
complete this project. The construction drawings are anticipated to be completed in
September or October of 2017 with planned construction starting in late 2018.

Security audit
Ransomware and many other forms of malware are becoming a significant threat to our
core systems and services. During the past year the Courts in Mohave County joined with
the Arizona Office of the Courts to implement technology solutions that will strengthen
our infrastructure and provide greater redundancy in the event of a system infection.

Court IT Technical Certification
Continuing the education of our staff is extremely important to ensure our staff has the
most advanced training available for the systems we support. During FY17 Court IT staff
members received additional technical certifications and Kyle Rimel, Court IT Director,
completed the Arizona Courts Manager program.

Server Refresh / System upgrades
Mohave County recognizes the need to keep technology current and refreshed. This past
year several major network, server and video systems were replaced with newer and
smarter technology. This type of refresh program allows the Courts in Mohave County to
stay current with advanced technology that provides greater reliability to the services we
offer.

Pro-Tem Appointments to Court of Appeals
On September 21, 2016 Chief Justice Scott Bales appointed the Honorable Charles W.
Gurtler, Jr. and the Honorable Rick Williams to serve as judge pro-tems in the Court of
Appeals, Division One, to aid and assist in the consideration and disposition of pending
cases. This work is in addition to their regular duties as judges for the Superior Court of
Arizona, County of Mohave.

BY THE NUMBERS

245
Employees

256,854 Miles
Driven in State/
County Vehicles

Of Probationers
successfully
completed
Probation

2,661 Marriage Licenses were issued.
Pictured is the “Knot of Hercules” that was
worn on ancient Greek wedding dresses,
the origin of the term “tying the knot”

87,760
Phone Calls

198
Appeals were
processed

750
Chat Line
Conversations

#mohavecourts
427,094
Visitors to website
mohavecourts.com

203
Followers on
Twitter

105
Followers on
Facebook

3,690
YouTube views of
Pro Per Self-Help
Videos

87
TurboCourt Forms
filled out for
Mohave County

56+
New E- Filed Cases
received since going
Live (June 2017)

98
Documents received via
the E-filing vendors
during FY-17. 963 and
counting since its
inception

Increase in monies
received using the
Tax Intercept
Program (TIP)

2,266
Passport requests were
completed across the 3
Superior Court
Locations

8,884
Jurors summoned
for duty

253,038
Visitors to Mohave
Court locations

426
Remote
Interpreter uses

6,034
Visitors to the Law
Library

79
Graduates from
Veterans Court

5,093
Felony Criminal
Charges were disposed
of

2,051
Hours of COJET
Training completed during
Local Conferences

E N G A G E D S TA F F
New Members of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform

Juvenile Drug Court Retreat

Deputy Probation Officers Dale Herren and Terra Sears were selected
as new members of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR)
Fellows Network based on the approval of their Capstone Project.
Mohave County’s Capstone Project, titled Diversions is focused on
diverting youth from the formal court process. “This Capstone Project
has the potential to be of tremendous value to youth in Mohave
County,” said Shay Bilchik, Director of CJJR. “It focuses on improving
outcomes for youth by updating the current diversion program
through the use of evidence-based practices and educating community
partners on the purpose, process and value of a diversion program in
the community.” The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR), part of
Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, advances a
balanced, multi-systems approach to reducing juvenile delinquency
that promotes positive child and youth development while also holding
youth accountable. The Center works to focus the nation's juvenile
justice and related systems of care on the key principles embodied in
an evidence-based juvenile justice reform agenda and identify and
highlight the research on policies and practices that work best to
reduce delinquency and achieve better outcomes for the nation’s
children. Members of the Mohave County Team attended the Juvenile Diversion
Certificate Program in August 2016 and were admitted to the CJJR Fellows Network in
January 2017. Their work was praised as “an excellent, well-crafted project with great
potential to improve outcomes for youth in custody in Mohave County.” Dale and Terra
received certificates and a formal letter indicating that they are now officially part of the
CJJR Fellows Network.

The 5th annual Juvenile Drug Court
retreat was held April 14, 2017. This
Hawaiian themed event was located
at Shugrue’s in Lake Havasu City.
Participants included drug court team
members from all three cities,
juvenile probation officers from
around the County, all three juvenile
drug court judges, the majority of our
probation
administration
staff,
representation
from
the
Administrative Office of the Courts
and various other invited guests. Our
Presiding Juvenile Court Judge, the Honorable Lee Jantzen, made opening remarks and
welcomed guests. He was followed by a presentation from our guest speaker, Dr. Sandra
Altshuler, Ph.D, L.I.C.S.W. from Spokane, Washington. In addition to being the full time
coordinator of the Behavioral Health Therapeutic Drug Courts in Spokane County, Dr.
Altshuler spent many years in academia and private practice, is a published author and has
been nationally recognized for her work in supporting at-risk youth. Dr. Altshuler spent the
morning introducing the new Juvenile Drug Treatment Court guidelines in detail to our
group and discussing ways in which we were already following these updated guidelines in
Mohave County. Dr. Altshuler presented on contingency management and its role in
Juvenile Drug treatment Courts. This presentation outlined the various ways we can
reward a juvenile’s behavior to get desired outcomes. Drug Court team members were
recognized and thanked for their participation in our drug court teams.

Wellness Program
The Lake Havasu Consolidated Court founded a Wellness Program that was
geared towards bringing Unity and Positivity in the workplace. The National
Wellness Institute defines wellness as “the conscious, self-directed and
evolving process of achieving full potential.” Our court has adopted this
mindset and intentionally focuses on how we can build happier, healthier,
fully-present employees. Our program has had a great success as many
employees participate in the various activities we plan. We believe this
success is due to planning exciting activities that build stronger relationships
between employees and their families. … In addition, some of the events
……
require teamwork that spills over into our work life and gives us all an outlet where we can
relax and let down our guard with each other. We also intentionally incorporate activities
that require exercise to help us achieve optimum health. Finally, we provided the option
to employees to use one of their breaks to step away DAILY and participate in a 5 minute
meditation coupled with relaxing music. Meditation has been proven to help reduce
stress in the workplace. Early this year, we planned a painting night where employees and
.

their spouses could participate in painting portraits at a local studio. We also
planned a Kayak trip down a local river with scenic views. We hiked Hualapai
Mountain to escape the heat with our families and friends and were able to
exercise while enjoying great company. One of our recent events was an
outing to a local Escape Room where employees worked in teams to find
their way out! Since this program was founded, we can honestly say that
our team has grown stronger and it is reflected in the atmosphere we all
work. The court system can have its own challenges due to the nature of our
work but infusing the environment with positivity and unity has made a
……..
positive change
that.. is reflected in not only our attitudes, but our productivity. One of the
favorite aspects of the Wellness Program was the incorporation of the “Golden Gavel”. At
every weekly staff meeting the “Golden Gavel” recipient passes it on to another employee
in front of their peers and tells of the good deed/action this employee did to earn this
acknowledgement. It goes a long way and ends our meetings on a positive note.

c o m m i t t e e pa r t i c i pa t i o n
AJACS Code Standardization
Committee

Commission on the Judicial
Employee Merit System

Court Automation Coordinating
Committee

Hon. Virlynn Tinnell, Andrew Dixon, Della
Hiser, Frederick Shade

Christina Spurlock, Joe Prentice, Josh Frisby,
Lori Linn

Kip Anderson

AJACS User Group Committee

Committee on Automation

Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee
Hon. Rick Lambert

Della Hiser (Co-Lead),
Frederick Shade

Andrew

Dixon,

Arizona Association of Counties
Hon. Virlynn Tinnell
Arizona Commission on Access to
Justice
Kip Anderson
Arizona Citizens Review Panel –
Northern Region
Elaine Maestas, Kimberly Chappelear

Hon. Rick Williams (Chair), Hon. Barbara
Brown, Hon. Dave Huerta, Hon. Jeffrey
Singer, Hon. Jon Moss, Hon. Virlynn Tinnell,
Alan Palomino, Elaine Maestas, Kip
Anderson, Kyle Rimel, Laurie Allen
Committee on Automation
Subcommittee on User Support
Kyle Rimel (Chair), Hon. Virlynn Tinnell,
Andrew Dixon, Barbara Potter, Frederick
Shade, Jennifer Harrold, Kay Phillips, Kip
Anderson, Laurie Allen, Melissa Solano,
Michelle Amaya, Ruthie Teigen, Shaleen
Bracken, Vicky Roundy

Arizona Judicial Council

Committee on Case Processing
Standards

Hon. Charles W. Gurtler, Jr.

Hon. Charles W. Gurtler, Jr., Hon. Jill Davis

Bridges to Recovery

Committee on Probation

Elaine Maestas

Alan Palomino, Elaine Maestas

COJET Committee

Committee on Probation Education

Gretchen Howell (Chair), Alan Palomino,
Barbara Potter, Brenda Melodia, Christopher
Carter, Dorothy Exley, Jamie King, Kay
Phillips, Kip Anderson, Laura Townsley,
Laurie Allen, Lori Linn, Michelle Amaya,
Michelle Carrol-Volk, Melissa Solano, Nicole
Aragon, Penny Carter, Valerie Winters,
Wendy Perkins

Elaine Maestas (Co-Chair)

Commission on Technology
Hon. Virlynn Tinnell
Commission on Victims in the Court

Court Leadership Institute of Arizona

LimitedJurisdictionCode
StandardizedCommittee

Hon. Charles W. Gurtler, Jr., Valerie Winters

Laurie Allen

Court Security and Emergency
Preparedness Committee

Loss Prevention Committee

Hon. Charles W. Gurtler, Jr. (Chair), Hon.
Dave Huerta, Alan Palomino, Andrew Dixon,
Bob Lawless, Kip Anderson, Kyle Rimel,
Laurie Allen, Ronnie Walker, Valerie Winters
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Ann Williams, Bob Lawless, Doreen RugglesGrogan, Valerie Winters
NCSC Review Project-Court Business
CapabilityModel
Hon. Virlynn Tinnell

Hon. Billy Sipe, Hon. Charles W. Gurtler, Jr.,
Hon. Dave Huerta, Hon. Derek Carlisle, Hon.
Jill Davis, Hon. Jeffrey Singer, Hon. John
Taylor, Hon. Jon Moss, Hon. Lee Jantzen,
Hon. Rick Lambert, Hon. Rick Williams, Hon.
Virlynn Tinnell, Alan Palomino, Elaine
Maestas, Kip Anderson, Kyle Rimel, Laurie
Allen, Michelle Amaya, Susan Davidson
Crossover Youth Practice Model
Governance Board

Mohave County Employee Benefit
Trust
Hon. Virlynn Tinnell
Staff Safety Advisory Committee
Alan Palomino (Vice Chair), Eric Olivia,
Ronnie Walker
Strategic Planning Committee

Elaine Maestas, Josh Frisby, Natalie Eggers,
Terra Sears
Dependency User Group

Pillar 1 Chair- Hon. Virlynn Tinnell & CoChair Christina Spurlock , Pillar 2 ChairLorrie Back, Pillar 3 Chair- Hon. Charles W.
Gurtler, Jr., Pillar 4 Chair- Valerie Winters,
Pillar 5 Chair- Hon. Rick Williams

Committee on Superior Court

Cortney Kennedy, Frederick Shade, Jeannie
Murk, Jewell Martin

Hon. Charles W. Gurtler, Jr.

Digital Evidence Task Force

Community Advisory Board

Hon. Charles W. Gurtler, Jr.

Hon. Doug Camacho, Hon. Lee Jantzen, Hon.
Rick Williams, Diann Albert, Elaine Maestas,
Josh Frisby, Natalie Eggers

General JurisdictionSteeringCommittee

Hon. Derek Carlisle, Hon. Doug Camacho,
Hon. Richard Weiss, Hon. Rick Williams,
Kimberly Chappelear, Kip Anderson

Hon. Virlynn Tinnell

Technology Advisory Council

County Picnic Committee

JOLTSaz User Group

Kyle Rimel

Karen Seckler

Brenda Melodia, Danielle Abel

Steering Committee for Infant
Toddler Mental Health

Hon. Richard Weiss
Key:

=National Committee

=Statewide Committee

=Countywide Committee

=Court wide Committee

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND OUTREACH
3rd Annual Girl’s Day Out
Girl’s Day Out was born out of an idea proposed by Deputy Probation
Officer Senior Diann Albert. Under her guidance and direction,
juvenile probation officers brought together 45 girls from around
Mohave County to participate in the 3rd annual Girl’s Day Out Event.
This event was held at Mohave Community College in Bullhead City
on October 22, 2016. The theme was “Dream, Believe, and Succeed”.
The girls where provided an uplifting message on overcoming
childhood obstacles by Lori Burns, who detailed her own troubled
home life which lead to her eventually running away, becoming
involved
……… …. in prostitution and having a drug addiction. Lori was able to rise above and now
operates several homes for young women in situations similar to her own. They also heard
from Brian Skinner a former Mohave County juvenile probationer who is now a
motivational speaker, local business owner and MMA fighter. Brian not only shared his
own story, but instructed the girls in personal safety and self-defense.
AZYP also
presented a Dove self-esteem program to help the girls gain insight into how others see
them. Girl’s Day Out was designed to provide a safe environment for girls in the juvenile
justice system to learn and explore topics specific to females. In addition, the girls are
provided snacks, lunch, a t-shirt and a gift bag with donated items. This past year, Legacy
Foundation donated tennis shoes for each girl as well as bottled water and cookies. AZYP
provided numerous items for the bags ranging from Chap Stick and sunscreen to
promotional novelty items. MCC donated dental hygiene kits. The girls who attend not
only gain valuable information, but are provided real life examples of others overcoming
dysfunctional childhoods and negative life choices. Girl’s Day Out would not be possible
without the community partnerships of the Legacy Foundation, Mohave Community
College and AZYP.

Community Advisory Board (CAB)
In 2017, at the direction of the Honorable Charles W. Gurtler, Jr., Presiding Superior Court
Judge, our local Community Advisory Board (CAB) decentralized into three CABs. These
Boards were established to represent Mohave County’s three main population centers:
Kingman, Lake Havasu City and Bullhead City. Members serve to promote and foster
greater dialogue, education and understanding between the community and the juvenile
court. Special recognition goes to the Honorable Rick Williams, for taking the lead on
modifying the by-laws that implemented the changes to the program.
Kingman Community Advisory Board (CAB) Throughout last fiscal year, the Kingman
Community Advisory Board (CAB) was busy at work providing aid to local programs that
serve the youth of our city. The Kingman CAB was provided with money, to delegate as
they deemed fit, to best serve the youth of our community. The members of the local CAB
decided to have different youth organizations apply for the funds and explain to the board
how they would allocate the funds if their organization was chosen. Multiple worthy
organizations applied and out of those five were chosen to present to the board in person.

Among those five were the three ultimately chosen including Kamp Girl Power through
Soroptimist International of Kingman, the Junior Police Academy through Kingman Police
Department and Kingman High School’s Lego Robotics Club.
Bullhead City Community Advisor Board (CAB) Throughout last fiscal year, the BHC Cab
was involved in sponsoring a GAGA Ball pit at Mohave Valley Jr. High. The CAB purchased
the kit and partnered with Medhi Azarmi of Fairway Construction who is supplying the
wood and the labor for construction. Once constructed, probation youth will paint the pit
as part of a CRS project. The GAGA pit should be constructed and ready for action when
the students return to school in August.

Lake Havasu City Community Advisory Board (CAB) Throughout last fiscal year, the LHC
Cab allocated funding to the Lake Havasu City Police Department to send two officers to
NOVA certification training in Orem, UT. The mission of N.O.V.A. is: "Nurturing youth to
seek out positive Opportunities, internalize good Values, and to accept Accountability for
their choices in life. NOVA assists parents, families and communities in protecting youth
from the potentially devastating effects of illegal drugs, violence, and negative media
exposure. LHCPD is the only law enforcement agency statewide currently using NOVA. In
Lake Havasu City, there are 5 certified officers but more are needed to facilitate this
training to all 5th-9th graders. Our committee wanted to meet the CAB’s motto; "Service to
others is the highest calling," and decided that funding two officers for training in NOVA
would benefit the most youth in the LHC community.

Court of Appeals Oral Arguments
On March 2, 2017 the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One, held oral arguments at the
Lake Havasu City High School. Following the oral arguments, Judge Lawrence F. Winthrop
from the Court of Appeals along with Superior Court Judges Derek Carlisle and Doug
Camacho, Justice of the Peace Jill Davis and Lake Havasu City Magistrate Mitch Kalauli and
the attorney who participated in the case answered questions from the students in
attendance. Following this students were able to visit with the Judges during the lunch
which was provided by the school. The Court of Appeals had previously held oral
arguments on April 4, 2016 at the Kingman High School. These opportunities provide
students the chance to ask questions and learn more about the judicial process.

Voting tablet used by Greek Jurors

Bronze ballots used by Greek Jurors

Pierced axels “Guilty”

Solid axels “Acquitted”

«Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur»
“who prosecutes on behalf of justice "

Top Left: Kent Batty, COJET Conf Guest Speaker Top Right: January 2017
Swearing in Ceremony Middle: Judge Williams receiving the Commitment to Excellence
Award presented by Judge Camacho Bottom Left: 2017 Courts Summer Softball Team
Bottom Right: COJET Committee

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND OUTREACH
Charity Contributions

Veteran’s Treatment Court

This year’s Food Drive was a great
success with a total of 1,065 items
collected and donated to the
Kingman Area Food Bank. The
Clerk’s Office is proud to be able to
continue to help the Kingman Area
Food Bank by collecting food for
those in need. We feel a great
sense of civic pride when it comes
to helping those in our Community
and hope to continue our efforts in
the coming years.

The objective of the Lake
Havasu City Veteran’s
Court is to give Veterans
who faithfully served
their country a second
chance
by
offering
Justice
Involved
Veterans treatment for
their substance abuse
and mental health issues
which can often be
traced to their service
experiences. The Court
promotes
sobriety,
………………..
recovery and stability through our treatment programs. To date, 170 Veterans have been
admitted into the Veterans Treatment Court, 79 have graduated from the program and 60
of these Veterans are still being monitored by and treated through the courts. Length of
involvement in the treatment courts ranges on average from 9 to 18 months, but could be
slightly longer depending on the Veteran’s individual needs. The Lake Havasu City
Veterans Treatment Court has a sobriety rate of 91% and all Veteran participants undergo
extensive drug/alcohol monitoring and treatment to address any substance abuse and/or
mental health concerns. Veteran Treatment Courts have a national recidivism rate of
about 25%. The Lake Havasu City Veterans Treatment Court has a recidivism rate of 3.8%
in 3.5 years. The Veterans Treatment Court further connects Justice Involved Veterans to
resources in the community. The Veterans Resource Team (VRT) was formed in response
to the growing needs of the Veterans in our community and justice system. The VRT is a
collaboration between many of the local Veteran and City organizations who have one
common goal, to help our community’s Veterans! In May 2017, the Lake Havasu City
Veterans Treatment Court was awarded a $20,000 grant through the Disabled American
Veterans (DAV Chapter 27) for Continuous Alcohol Monitoring through SCRAM of Arizona.
In June 2017, the Lake Havasu City Veterans Treatment Court was awarded a SAMHSA
grant in the amount of $906,430.00 over the course of 3 years starting September 2017.
This grant unifies the Lake Havasu City Veterans Treatment Court and the Kingman
Veterans Treatment Court regionally. The grant will benefit Veterans participating in both
Veterans Treatment Courts by providing additional services to current program
participants as well as participants who are ineligible to receive local VA treatment
services. In July 2017, the Lake Havasu City Veterans Treatment Court was given the
opportunity to present at the NADCP National Veterans Court Conference. The
presentation discussed how to operate a successful Veterans Treatment Court in a rural
community and highlighted the partnership between Lake Havasu City Veterans
Treatment Court and Kingman Veterans Treatment Court on a regional level.

On May 11, 2016 the Clerk’s Office
hosted its first Sweet Treats Silent
Auction in the Mohave County Superior
Court Clerk’s hallway to raise money for
the fight against cancer. With our
Honorable Judges and Court Staff, we
raised a total of $716.50. We had such
an incredible turn out in May that
everyone agreed to keep our fundraising
efforts going! On September 26, 2016
we held our second Sweet Treats Silent
Auction, however, this time around we
….
we added casseroles too and raised a total of $707.00.
On top of our Sweet Treat Silent
Auctions, the Clerk’s Office had an annual display in the lobby to help raise money for our
local Kingman Cancer Care Unit. In October of 2016 we raised $202.50. On May 9, 2017 we
held our third Sweet Treats Silent Auction raising $967.00. All together thus far this year,
the Mohave County Superior Court Staff has raised a total of $2,593.00!!!! Needless to say,
our fundraising efforts are not stopping anytime soon! Stay tuned for our next Sweet
Treats Silent Auction and our 2017 Breast Cancer display in October!

Annual Tri-State Veterans Stand Down
The Jerry Ambrose Veterans Council, a Non-Profit
Organization “dedicated to bringing all groups
together to assist veterans in need”, hosted a
Veterans Stand Down Friday, March 3-4, 2017 in
Bullhead City. Representatives from the Mohave
Courts were on-site to provide Veterans in need with
assistance. The Veterans Stand Down served over 390
Veterans from across Mohave County.

S u p e r i o r C o u rt S ta t i s t i c s
R ev e n u e C o l l e c t e d f o r
Fiscal Year 2017
$4,464,174.57
Admin
$1,463,148.90

Criminal
$1,364,916.00

Superior Court Criminal Case Type

Superior Court Administrative Case
Type

FY 2017

3735

3484

FY 2016

3667

3792
Filed

Probate
$285,941.70

Family
$495,994.59

Juvenile
$333,142.38

Superior Court Family Law Case Type

Filed

4622

2016

Filed

2623

2894

2016

2017

1701

1400

FY 2016

1805

1412

Justice Court Criminal Traffic Case

Type

Type

425

436

2016

Filed

2109

2017

1998

2016

Justice Court Civil Traffic Case Type

Filed

Filed

2552

2016

2017

13015

16006

2016

Dispo

FY 2017

998

1073

FY 2016

962

1034
Filed

Dispo

Superior Court Probate Case Type

Superior Court Civil Case Type

FY 2017

1495

1335

FY 2017

FY 2016

1315

1238

FY 2016

Dispo

North
Canyon
$1,354,214.66

Lake
Havasu
$1,422,822.22

2017

Justice Court Misdemeanor Case Type

2478

2552
Filed

Dispo

2017

Justice Court Search Warrant Case

Filed

2007

935
931

946
784
Filed

Dispo

J u s t i c e C o u rt s ta t i s t i c s
R ev e n u e C o l l e c t e d f o r
Fiscal year 2017
$6,552,315.94

Justice Court Felony Case Type

5072

1691

Superior Court Juvenile Case Type

FY 2017

Filed

Justice Court Civil Case Type

FY 2016

1783

Dispo

Filed

Civil
$444,194.40

FY 2017

2017

Bullhead
$785,478.18

Kingman/
Cerbat
$2,989,800.88

P R O B A T I O N S TA T I S T I C S

Average Adult
Probation
Population

Adult
community
restitution
service

Average Adult
Probation
Population
cont.

Adult drug
court

Adult
dispositions

Adult
dispositions
cont.

Adult new
cases granted

Adult
presentence
investigations

The concept
of probation,
from the
Latin word
probatio or
“testing," has
historical
roots in the
practice of
judicial
reprieve.

S U C C E S S S TO R I E S

“

“

Drug Court helped me stay strong and want to stay honest with
myself and others.

You are not alone and one of the first things you will learn is how
much support is truly out there for you.

I now have 19 months clean and sober from everything.

As for my experience, this was a huge stepping-stone in my life. I
am so grateful for all I have gained. The caliber of the professionals
working in all aspects of this system is second to none.

I am a good mother and a support system and a good role model for
people to look up to.

”

M. a Drug Court Graduate

“

For a man to conquer himself is the first and
noblest of all victories.
-Plato

I never felt being a Veteran meant anything until I got into trouble.
Veterans Court is different; they actually appreciate Veterans.

”

D. a Veteran Court Graduate

“

Drug court helped me in many ways by giving me much needed
support and guidance, and by teaching me to be accountable,
honest, and reliable.

Vet Court helped me with every need I had –employment, housing,
the VA. Before coming into the program, I was not aware of the
resources available and I am still using them today.

I am eternally grateful for everyone who has helped me throughout
this journey.

C. a Veteran Court Graduate

J. a Drug Court Graduate

“

”

Success is dependent on effort.
-Sophocles

I was struggling to be successful on probation and in my personal
life.”
“She inspired her fellow participants to put forth great effort into
their recovery.”
“She is an example of the effect that the Mohave County Drug
Court Program has on the lives of its participants, and an
inspiration to those currently enrolled in the program.

R. a Drug Court Graduate

“

”

We usually don’t sit down together as a family for dinner. This
program had us sitting together talking to each other.

Parent of a Youth Court Participant

”

”

“

I have always been a procrastinator but the Marines taught me that
at certain times you have to do things you do not want to do to get
the job done. I have always applied that my life. The Veterans
Court reinforced it.
The Judge and staff were amazing and if I ever needed anything,
they would help.

”

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence,

J. a Veteran Court Graduate then, is not an act, but a habit

“

-Aristotle

Thank you for the pleasant experience at Jury Duty. I enjoyed it
very much.

I was impressed by the whole experience.

E. a Juror on a trial

”

T h e

J u d i c i a
A r i z
M O H A V E
m o h a v e c o

A N N U A L

R E P O R T

l

B r a n c h
o f
o n a
C O U N T Y
u r t s . c o m

F I S C A L

Y E A R

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