About Flagstaff Justice Court
Flagstaff Justice Court is located in Flagstaff, a city in Coconino County in the northern region of Arizona. Flagstaff was founded in 1881 and is said to have been named by a group of lumberjacks who were celebrating Independence Day in the Coconino National Forest. They had nailed a United States flag to the top of a ponderosa pine tree, then called the area Flagstaff. The proximity to the national forest made it possible for Flagstaff’s early economy to be mostly lumber-based.
Today, Flagstaff is home to Northern Arizona University and is an important distribution hub for companies such as the United States Geological Survey Flagstaff Station. Additionally, Flagstaff is a popular tourism sector because it is close to the Grand Canyon. The city has numerous restaurant and hotel chains to accommodate the approximate 5 million visitors per year.
Common Offenses in Flagstaff Justice Court
Criminal or Excessive Speeding
Citations for criminal speeding or excessive speeding are the most common violations we see out of the Flagstaff Justice Court. Most violations occur on the I-40, as this stretch of roadway is usually light in terms of traffic and is straight and wide-open. In Arizona, any speed over 85 miles per hour can be charged as an excessive speeding violation, and it is very easy to travel at these speeds on this road.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving is another very common violation charged out of the FLagstaff Justice Court. Whether this charge is cited on a person’s ticket depends a lot upon the officer who issues the citation. Some officers will only charge this violation in extreme circumstances and other officers will cite it as a matter of common practice. Generally, whether an officer in this jurisdiction issues a reckless driving charge will depend upon the speed, the mile post, whether there were other people in the vehicle, and any other violations observed during the driving.
Commercial Trucking or CDL Violations
Officers patrolling Flagstaff also tend to issue trucking violations to commercial drivers regularly. We normally see logbook violations as a result of routine traffic stops and inspections, but also see a large number of seat belt violations. In Arizona, it is a class 1 misdemeanor for a commercial driver to not be wearing their seatbelt. The officers in Flagstaff will sit on bridges and monitor traffic that passes below them on the I-40. If they see a commercial driver not wearing or improperly wearing a seat belt, they will radio another unit to stop the vehicle and issue a citation.
Flagstaff Justice Court Jurisdiction
The Flagstaff Justice Court Precinct of Coconino County includes all of Flagstaff and covers a significant portion of the Interstate 40 and some of the Historic Route 66 in Northern Arizona. People travel through Flagstaff, to travel to Las Vegas, and most commonly, to visit the Grand Canyon.
Most speeding violations within this Court’s jurisdiction occur on either the I40 Eastbound between mile markers 194-229 or on the I17 Northbound between mile markers 315-340.
About the Flagstaff Justice Court Judges, Joshua Steinlage(left) and Howard Grodman(right)
Prior to serving as a Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore, Judge Joshua Steinlage practiced in criminal law and taught business law and ethics at Norther Arizona University. In our subjective opinion, Judge Steinlage is a very reasonable Judge.
Judge Howard Grodman was elected Justice of the Peace in 2011. Prior to this, Judge Grodman was an attorney licensed in both Michigan and Arizona, as well as a Judge Pro Tem for Phoenix Municipal Court and Pro Tem Juvenile Judge for Maricopa County. In our subjective opinion, Judge Grodman is a reasonable Judge but can have a tendency to be more strict if the Speeding charge is above 100 mph or if a Reckless charge is also involved.
Flagstaff Justice Court sees a very high number of traffic violations, and Judge Grodman takes these violations seriously. This jurisdiction at times sees devastating accidents, resulting in injuries and deaths. It seems to us that Judge Grodman is using his position as a Judge to encourage and promote safe driving while not being overly punitive in his rulings.
Officers Patrolling Flagstaff Justice Court Area
Officer R. Offerman, Badge Number 07835
Officer Doug Offerman is an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer who writes a large number of traffic tickets out of this jurisdiction. Though very stern, interactions with this Officer have generally been positive as he thoroughly explains what he is citing and answers any questions people may have.
In this citation, Officer Offerman used a radar device to estimate this individual’s speed, and issued a citation for Exceeding 85 mph.
Officer M. Curtis, Badge Number 07847
Officer Curtis is another Department of Public Safety Officer who writes tickets and does traffic patrol out of the Flagstaff Justice Court area. His style of writing tickets is a little more thorough than Officer Offerman’s, who tends to be stern but lenient. In the following citation, he wrote this individual for criminal speeding but according to the client, the interaction with the Officer was not pleasant as she felt like she was being interrogated.
Officer T. Humphrey, Badge Number 07153
Officer Humphrey is another Department of Public Safety Officer who writes tickets and does traffic patrol out of the Flagstaff Justice Court area. His style of writing tickets tends to be efficient, but like officer Curtis, Officer Humphrey tends to be strict. In the following citation, he wrote this individual for criminal speeding. The interaction with the officer was not bad but the Officer was not very talkative or helpful.
Flagstaff Justice Court Map & Parking
The Flagstaff Justice Court is located in the heart of Flagstaff, just North of Northern Arizona University. Hiring an attorney to represent you is generally the most cost effective way to avoid physically having to travel to this Court, especially if you do not live in the Flagstaff area.
Hiring a Flagstaff Defense Lawyer
Our office represents a very large number of people charged with offenses in Flagstaff. In a great majority of our cases, we are able to prevent our clients from having any criminal record and resolve their case without them ever having to return to Arizona. We provide representation on a flat fee basis, offer affordable payment plans and deliver a proper defense with a team dedicated to solving traffic-related cases.
Contact us today for a free, no obligation case evaluation. Send us your citation and your information below and we will review your matter as soon as possible.