Yakima judges to stop holding jailhouse trials

YAKIMA – Yakima County Superior Court judges will no longer hold criminal trials in the county jail after a Washington Supreme Court ruled the setting was prejudicial for a defendant.

The high court reversed the conviction of Yakima murder defendant James Frank Jaime, saying it was unfair his trial was held in the county jail rather than the courthouse.

Court administrative consultant Harold Delia said the Superior Court judges concluded continuing to hold trials in the jail basement will lead to routine appeals.

“They are sure any case we had in there would be appealed to the Supreme Court,” Delia said Friday. “We can’t afford that.”

Moving all trials to the courthouse will require the county to spend more money on security at a time when the county faces a $1.3 million budget shortfall.

“We are trying to find a way to keep the Supreme Court happy and still be able to pave the roads and staff the Assessor’s Office,” County Commissioner Rand Elliott said.

Elliott said the county may have to double its current spending on courthouse security costs, including hiring more guards.

The high court decision May 27 involved Jaime, who was convicted of killing a man during a drug deal in 2005. The judge agreed with prosecutors who for security reasons wanted to hold his trial in a courtroom at the jail, rather than in the courthouse across the street.

In an opinion by Justice Debra Stephens, the high court ruled 6-3 that the setting was prejudicial, akin to letting jurors see the defendant in shackles.

The decision did not generally prohibit use of jail courtrooms, but Delia said the justices provided no standard on which the county could rely to justify use of the jail facilities.

Fewer than 10 trials are held annually in the two jail courtrooms, which typically have been used for murder cases where a high level of security is needed.

Yakima County says it will continue to use the jail courtrooms for cases other than criminal jury trials such as preliminary appearances, arraignments and pretrial matters.