KINGMAN – A major move into the brand-new Mohave County courthouse in downtown Kingman will soon begin. Superior Court Administrator Kip Anderson said the county must first be issued a temporary certificate of occupancy for the four story, 66,000 sq. ft. structure adjacent to the historic courthouse on Oak St.

“The real heavy lifting will start Friday night. The county has hired a moving company that will come in and move all the heavy stuff,” said Superior Court Administrator Kip Anderson.

Superior Court Clerk Virlynn Tinnell will oversee weekend transfer of court files. Anderson said it is essential the transfer occurs correctly to maintain the integrity of documents and data.

“It is a monumental undertaking. There are literally thousands and thousands of boxes of files to be moved,” said Presiding Superior Court Judge Charles Gurtler. He said staff is excited to relocate into new and improved quarters and that the public will be impressed as well.

“The courtrooms are large. They are spacious. Obviously, they are modern. They are comfortable,” Gurtler said.
Gurtler has said that design features will promote security and public safety by creating work space and flows segregating inmates from staff and the general public. He said technology upgrades will increase efficiencies and quality of service.

Judges have canceled or scaled back their hearing schedules to allow for the transition into the $20-million facility constructed by contractor Johnson Carlier. Funding was derived from a 20-year, quarter cent sales tax that has expired.

A March 18, 2019 groundbreaking ceremony formally kicked off the project. Completion is a couple of months behind schedule, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An early March dedication celebration involving dignitaries will be closed to the general public due to COVID-19 restrictions. Gurtler said court officials plan to capture the ceremony and a virtual tour of the facility and post them on the website for public consumption.

The vacated courthouse will undergo renovation and remodeling. Kingman Justice Court operations housed in modular buildings about a mile away will be relocated inside the refurbished historic building.

Dave Hawkins