Judge still serving despite criminal complaint
WINDOW ROCK
A district court judge is still sitting on the bench after the prosecutor’s office filed a criminal complaint against her.
The complaint against Victoria R. Yazzie, district court judge in Whippoorwill, Ariz., alleges that Yazzie presided over a case involving her own family members.
According to documents from the prosecutor’s office, Yazzie was issued a criminal summons after she ruled in favor of her nephew and cousin sister in a child custody case.
Yazzie had her arraignment on March 19 and a pretrial conference was scheduled for April 24 but that was changed with no new date set as of press of time.
“I don’t understand why she remains on the bench. The community will suffer because of it,” said Bernadine Martin, Navajo Nation Chief Prosecutor.
“If we value our sovereignty then the court should ensure that the public is provided with competency from the bench.”
The criminal complaint states that Yazzie committed the offense in early February in the Dzil Yijiin District Court when she approved a temporary protection order in favor of her nephew and cousin sister.
Ten days later, Yazzie signed a document recusing herself from the case because of the family conflict of interest.
However the protection order stayed in place and Yazzie continued to sit on the bench trying cases.
The criminal complaint states that Yazzie was charged with “abuse of office.”
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