Retirement didn’t last very long for former Mohave County Superior Court Judge Richard Weiss. After hanging up his robe and setting aside his gavel just three months ago, the former Bullhead City resident who currently resides in Kingman begins a new job with Mohave County in Kingman next Monday.
County Manager Mike Hendrix confirmed that Weiss will become the interim
administrator of the Mohave County Public Defenders Office (PDO), succeeding
Alex Bolobonoff. Hendrix said Bolobonoff indicated his wish to retire early
this month but also agreed to remain onboard until the county found a short or
long-term replacement.
Hendrix said Bolobonoff decided to enter retirement this Friday when he was
informed Weiss would handle his duties on a temporary basis. Bolobonoff was
hired by Mohave County in 1999 and worked for several
chief public defenders before being promoted to lead the office in February
2016.
Weiss had extensive experience in private practice before taking the bench as a
Judge Pro Tempore for Mohave County Superior Court in May 1996. He was
appointed by the governor as a fulltime Superior Court Judge in February 2005
where he remained employed until retiring at the end of last year.
Hendrix said Weiss is well suited to his new role in the local criminal justice system. “I think Mohave County is blessed to have the opportunity for him to step in,” Hendrix said.
Human Resources Director Ken Cunningham said the county began a recruitment
campaign to select and hire a new fulltime PDO administrator earlier this
month. Cunningham said it will take at least a month to fill the position and
that it may take several months more.
Cunningham said it is envisioned that Weiss will mostly manage PDO operations
and personnel rather than spending much time handling cases in court. He said
Weiss will also assess the PDO’s provision of indigent legal services, possibly
making improvement recommendations before or upon his exit.
