Bodycam: Superior Court judge allegedly urinates near courthouse
Yavapai County judge cited for urinating in public days before resignation
An Arizona Superior Court judge was allegedly caught on body camera footage urinating near the courthouse where she works. Judge Kristyne Schaaf-Olson resigned days after the incident. FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum has more details.
YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. - 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.
What we know:
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 Bodycam:
"Are you her husband?" an officer asked.
"Yeah," the husband replied.
"OK. Can you hang out over by the cab for me?" the officer instructed.
"Nope, come on," the husband said.
"Yeah, you can, because I'm conducting an investigation," the officer responded.
"For what?" the husband asked.
"Because I just saw her puking and urinating, exposing herself to several people," the officer explained.
"No, that wasn't her," the husband insisted.
Dig deeper:
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.
"What are you doing?" Olson shouted.
"Get your [expletive] on the [expletive] ground, dude," an officer ordered.
"I'm not doing anything!" Olson protested.
"515, we're fighting," an officer said.
"I'm not fighting!" Olson said back.
The police report said Schaaf-Olson showed signs of intoxication and slurred her speech.
FULL BODY CAM: Judge allegedly caught urinating in public, steps down
Superior Court Judge Kristyne Schaaf-Olson resigned after body camera footage allegedly surfaced showing her urinating in public. Her husband, Jason Olson, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of resisting arrest and obstructing a police investigation.
The backstory:
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.
In the body camera footage, she is heard emphasizing her official title.
"At minimum you're getting a ticket," an officer said.
"That’s fine. I want to let you know, my name is Judge Krystine Olson," she stated.
The report also said several witnesses walked by minutes earlier and waved the officer down after they saw the judge urinating.
The Bodycam:
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.
"Nope, right here on the screen. On the screen! On the screen," an officer told her.
What they're saying:
FOX 10 reached out to the Yavapai County Superior Court for comment. The court administrator’s initial news release, just days after the incident, said Schaaf-Olson resigned to "tend to personal matters."
The latest statement from Yavapai County Superior Court says, in part: "The Superior Court is aware of the allegations against Judge Kristyne Schaaf-Olson. This information was brought to the court’s attention on October 4. Judge Schaaf-Olson accepted full responsibility and formally submitted her resignation on Monday, October 6. To ensure coverage of her calendar, Judge Schaaf-Olson agreed her last day on the bench would be October 31."
A statement was also released from the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct which read:
"Earlier this month, Judge Schaaf-Olson self-reported to the Commission on Judicial Conduct that she received the citation for public urination and indicated that she would be resigning her judicial position. The Commission opened an investigation based on the self-report, and the matter remains pending and confidential under Commission Rule 9."
In a statement on Nov. 3 from Terri Denemy, the town manager for the Town of Chino Valley, he said in part, "As for a comment on the arrest of Mr. Olson. When another municipality is conducting an investigation, we don’t comment. As to whether Mr. Olsen has faced any disciplinary action since his arrest and pending court proceedings. We also do not comment on any potential or ongoing personnel actions."
Full Statement from Yavapai:
"The Superior Court is aware of the allegations against Judge Kristyne Schaaf-Olson. This information was brought to the Court’s attention on October 4. Judge Schaaf-Olson accepted full responsibility and formally submitted her resignation on Monday, October 6. To ensure coverage of her calendar, Judge Schaaf-Olson agreed her last day on the bench would be October 31. We have arranged for coverage of her court calendar until a new Judge Pro Tempore is appointed to Division A of the Superior Court. The selection process for a new judge has begun. We appreciate Judge Schaaf-Olson’s decision to accept responsibility and step down to tend to personal matters."
What's next:
Schaaf-Olson’s pre-trial conference is set for Dec. 16, while Jason Olson’s pre-trial conference is on Nov. 18.
The Source: This information was gathered by FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum, who obtained the police body camera footage, and the Yavapai County Superior Court.