Superior Court judge cited for urinating near courthouse, husband arrested for interfering
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Yavapai County, AZ - A Superior Court judge abruptly resigned after an incident with police, but Yavapai County did not initially release details on what led up to the resignation.
Now, Prescott police body camera video shows the judge allegedly urinating in the street.
The incident occurred just after 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 4. Video showed the moment the woman had just pulled up her pants, and was sitting on a bench, face to face with Prescott police.
Her identity was confirmed to be Judge Pro Tempore Kristyne Schaaf-Olson.
The location is known to many as Whiskey Row at Montezuma and Gurley Street, on the same block as the Courthouse Plaza where Schaaf-Olson works. A source, who wishes to remain anonymous, obtained the body camera footage.
The officer asked her what she is doing, to which Schaaf-Olson replied, "I'm waiting…Uber."
As the officer tried to identify her, Schaaf-Olson’s husband got involved.
The judge's husband, Jason Olson, is also the parks and recreation manager for the Town of Chino Valley. Police said Olson did not listen to instructions to back away. As he was being detained, officers said he resisted arrest by tensing up his right arm before being taken to the ground.
The police report said Schaaf-Olson showed signs of intoxication and slurred her speech.
Schaaf-Olson was appointed as a judge for Yavapai County Superior Court in 2023. She was a partner for her own law firm for two years and had been practicing law for a decade, according to her LinkedIn resume.
The report also said several witnesses walked by minutes earlier and waved the officer down after they saw the judge urinating.
An officer asked if the judge and her husband were visiting, to which another officer replied, "I have no idea. She's useless. She can't even spell her name."
"Alright, this is your citation. It's a misdemeanor for urinating or defecating in public, okay? So, you're gonna have to sign it, promising to appear in court in about a month, all right? Your husband's gonna be transported to the Yavapai County Jail. He'll be booked in there," an officer is heard saying in the footage.
Jason Olson was cited for resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene investigation and obstruction of government operations. His employer, the Town of Chino Valley, has not responded to a request for comment.
Body camera footage shows Judge Schaaf-Olson struggling to sign the citation.