County officials split on hearings for jail inmates

FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County’s justices of the peace were split Thursday on a motion asking Circuit Court judges to consider new bond hearings on detainees at the county jail because of the covid-19 virus.

Stan Adelman, the county’s jail ombudsman, asked during the public comment portion of the meeting if the Quorum Court could consider a motion supporting his renewed request for hearings that could result in lower bond amounts for some detainees.

The Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday a number of recently admitted detainees had tested positive for the covid-19 virus. The state Health Department is testing all of the detainees and staff at the jail. A similar issue has been reported at the Benton County jail this week with inmates testing positive for the virus.

Adelman said with a number of detainees having tested positive it’s “much more urgent” to try to allow those who might be released.

“Now that what everybody has long feared, and what the jail has done their best to try and avoid, has happened, this outbreak at the jail really ups the ante for the detainees, for the staff and for the community-at-large,” Adelman said.

A motion at the end of the meeting to approve Adelman’s request garnered six yes votes with five voting no and one abstaining.

County Attorney Brian Lester said the motion was out of order but, even if it weren’t, an abstention would be counted as a no vote, so the motion failed. County Judge Joseph Wood ruled the motion had failed to pass and a motion to adjourn ended the discussion.

Eva Madison, justice of the peace for District 9 in Fayetteville, said afterwards the end of the meeting was “chaotic.” Madison said the motion wasn’t out of order, since Wood had called for a vote, and the motion should have passed.

“It’s my understanding that a simple majority of those present and voting is all that is needed,” Madison said. “The vote was six to five in favor.”

Judith Yanez, justice of the peace for District 4 in Springdale, chastised her colleagues on the Quorum Court, saying the health crisis at the jail is “a severe issue” that deserved a less contentious hearing.

“We can’t seem to get along,” Yanez said. “Our constituents in the jail deserve better.”

Adelman said he originally approached the circuit judges more than three months ago to hold new hearings on detainees and he will be asking them now to consider doing so again.

“The stakes are so much higher now,’ Adelman said. “It is much more urgent now for everyone who can safely get out of jail to be able to do so.” Tom Sissom can be reached by email at tsissom@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWATom.