A Yavapai County judge abruptly resigned after body-worn camera footage surfaced showing her allegedly urinating in public just steps from the courthouse, a humiliating episode that should remind Americans that no one is above basic standards of decency. The footage and reporting make it clear this was not a private moment but a public incident that undermines trust in our courts and the people who occupy them.
The judge was identified as Judge Pro Tempore Kristyne Schaaf-Olson, and the encounter reportedly occurred in Prescott in the early morning hours of October 4, where she told officers she was “waiting… Uber” as they approached. Eyewitnesses flagged officers after seeing the conduct, and the bodycam captures the awkward exchange as the officer asked for identification and the judge slurred her responses.
The scene escalated when Schaaf-Olson’s husband intervened, allegedly refusing police orders and drawing charges for resisting and obstructing officers while she was cited for public urination; bodycam audio even records officers saying she couldn’t spell her name. This wasn’t a private lapse — it was a public spectacle with law enforcement and bystanders involved, and the behavior of both spouses compounded the disgrace.
According to reports, Schaaf-Olson submitted her resignation days after the incident, citing personal, medical and family circumstances, and she reportedly self-reported to the state judicial oversight authorities as the local court moved to fill the vacancy. Resignation is the bare minimum when a person entrusted with applying the law publicly behaves like a private citizen who has abandoned common decency.
Conservatives rightly expect better from judges because the rule of law depends on perceived integrity in those who enforce it; when a judge becomes the story of public shame, it weakens confidence in every verdict and sentence handed down from that bench. Accountability isn’t partisan — it’s patriotic — and Americans of all stripes should demand that judges live up to the standards they impose on others.
This episode is also a reminder that elites do not get a free pass for embarrassing or criminal behavior, and that the culture of excuses must end. Whether it’s petty corruption, moral lapses, or drunken public misconduct, if you wear the robe you are held to a higher standard, and the community deserves swift, transparent consequences.
Local leaders and voters should watch how this vacancy is filled and insist on candidates who demonstrate sobriety, respect for the law, and a commitment to restoring faith in the judiciary. Our system only works when those who adjudicate disputes are beyond reproach, and Prescott’s citizens deserve a bench that reflects the values of hardworking Americans.
