On Thursday, April 24, 2025, the Tri-City Herald reported that Benton Franklin Superior Court judges have recused themselves from ruling on an emergency injunction concerning the control of the Franklin County jail. This decision came after a contentious vote by the Franklin County commissioners, who sought to transfer jail and courthouse security responsibilities away from Sheriff Jim Raymond.

The conflict arose following a state audit that raised concerns about the management of jail contracts and financial oversight. The audit criticized both the jail and county staff but ultimately placed responsibility on the county for failing to implement adequate financial policies and controls.

During the commissioners’ meeting, Sheriff Raymond expressed his belief that the decision to shift security control was negligent. Despite his objections, he indicated a willingness to comply with the commissioners’ directive. However, he highlighted a significant issue: he could not hand over the weapons used by jailers and security staff to the newly formed Franklin County Corrections Department. This was due to the absence of a plan for the transfer of authority and commissions necessary for those employees to carry firearms and make arrests.

Sheriff Raymond noted that a previous ruling by local Superior Court judges in 2012 established that any changes to security requirements would need to be approved by a judge, not the county commissioners. The judges did not provide specific reasons for their recusal, leading to further complications in the ongoing legal dispute.

In light of the judges’ withdrawal, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office announced that an outside judge would be appointed to address the injunction request. Meanwhile, the commissioners reconvened to add several items to their agenda, including initiating contract negotiations with jail Commander Kielen Harmon to manage the jail under the new corrections department. They also voted to retain Jeremy Jansky in the jail command staff as captain and approved a contract with Tri-Cities Monitoring to oversee the courthouse’s guard operations.

By 1 p.m. on Thursday, Franklin County Sheriff staff were still providing security at the courthouse, although they had returned their firearms to the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Raymond stated that he had yet to receive formal instructions regarding the transition of jail operations and security, raising concerns about the management of jail databases currently under his office’s jurisdiction.

The Franklin County jail employs around 50 individuals, including jailers and administrative staff, managing an average of 200 inmates daily. The jail’s budget for 2025 is approximately $10 million. The sudden decision to transfer control of the jail surprised many, including Sheriff Raymond and his staff. Although commissioners claimed to have contemplated the change for some time, there had been no prior discussions on jail oversight during previous county commission meetings.

During the contentious meeting, several current and former jailers voiced their concerns about the lack of preparation for such a significant transition. They questioned the commissioners about the timing of discussions regarding jail oversight, noting that the first public mention of the issue occurred during the meeting itself. The vote to shift control was conducted just 15 minutes into the session, with limited dialogue from the commissioners.

The resolution to take control of the jail was directly linked to the recent state audit, which highlighted deficiencies in contract management and operations within the Franklin County jail. The Washington State Auditor’s Office examined various contracts, including those for jail commissary and medical services, and concluded that the county had failed to adequately oversee its contracts and lacked proper financial controls.

This oversight failure was attributed in part to staff instability within the county’s administration. The county recently appointed Brian Dansel as a new administrator after nine months under interim leadership. His predecessor, Mike Gonzalez, left after being implicated as a whistleblower in a criminal investigation involving several elected officials, although no charges were filed.

The audit findings indicated significant issues, including a lapse in quarterly profit-sharing payments from the jail commissary contract, which had ceased since 2018. The resumption of these payments had a notable impact on the courthouse’s finances, adding $1 million amid discussions of budget shortfalls for 2025.

 

 

Source: Tri-City Herald