Gila County Responds to Report of Improper Disposal of Documents

The Gila County Superior Court sent out this press release yesterday:

1/29/14 

Citizens of Gila County 

I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the recent news of improper disposal of court related documents that aired on Channel 3 as well as the local radio station 101.9 on January 28, 2014. As you may know, the documents are sensitive in nature. They should have been treated with the utmost care and attention. There are protocols in place to ensure that this occurs. The protocol obviously did not occur, and information was viewed by the public and exposed to those who might want to utilize the information for ill will. 

I want to apologize for our failure to conduct our work in a manner that ensured that privacy rights are upheld for everyone. I can assure you that the error has been corrected, at least from the Court side. I understand the bewilderment of the citizens of Gila County over how such an act could occur. My answer to that is twofold. One, there was a breakdown in communication and second, additional training for staff is necessary. 

The Gila County Superior Court prides itself on holding ourselves to higher expectations and results. We are committed to quality and best practices. As the Chief Probation Officer and Court Administrator, I am saddened that mistakes were made, but the fact that we made a mistake does not slow my resolve for transparency. We will continue to work to provide the service that Gila County deserves and we will continue to hold ourselves accountable, like the citizens of Gila County expect. Again, on behalf of the Superior Court, I want to apologize for our error in judgment to each of you. Thank you for your time.

                  Kendall Rhyne CPO/Court Administration
                  Gila County