Judge Singer proposes Kingman "community court" to speed up nuisance enforcement

Kingman — Judge Singer of Kingman Municipal Court proposed a new problem‑solving court on Sept. 16 that would focus on city beautification: municipal code violations such as junk and debris, overgrown weeds and other public‑nuisance issues. The judge said the program, which he and court staff plan to start in January 2026, would use suspensions of prosecution and monthly review hearings so property owners can remedy violations and have cases dismissed upon compliance.

Judge Singer described the program as a specialty court modeled on other problem‑solving dockets the municipal court already operates, saying the city’s neighborhood services officers would continue initial outreach and that the court would keep a case on calendar and monitor progress. “Individuals would enter into suspensions of prosecution with the court and will then have their cases dismissed upon proof of compliance of the Kingman City code,” Judge Singer said. He noted the program would aim to avoid misdemeanor convictions for people who come into compliance.

Judge Singer asked the council for the “temperature” of support; multiple council members spoke in favor. Staff and the judge said one change is required in local code: the city’s timeline for arraignment on these citations currently shows 10 days in the municipal code but Arizona law provides 30 days, and the judge said the city code should be amended to match state timing. The judge also said he had discussed the idea with the county presiding judge and with city attorneys and that operations would be coordinated with neighborhood services and the city attorney’s office.