Group submits paperwork to recall Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice

Three Yakima County residents submitted paperwork to recall Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice this week.

The Yakima County Auditor’s Office received the charges and transmitted them to Curtice and Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Joe Brusic.

In September, Yakima police accused Curtice of evidence tampering, making false statements and official misconduct after he said he snorted drugs obtained from dead bodies while he was at work. The police report was sent to the Ellensburg city attorney's office, which is weighing criminal charges.

Curtice has not responded to requests for comment.

Yakima attorney Zachary Stambaugh submitted the statement on behalf of Roy Dove, Kenton Gartrell and Stephan Edwards, who are precinct committee officers for the Yakima County Republican Party. 

The recall statement charges Curtice with misfeasance, malfeasance and violation of his oath of office. The actions cited are:

• Illegal drug use in connection with official duties

• False reporting in connection with official duties

• Mishandling of personal property and evidence from the deceased

• Theft of contraband from corpses and of Yakima County property

• Impairing the operation and functioning of the Yakima County Coroner’s Office

• Prolonged and indefinite absence from work

The statement cites the police report produced by the Yakima Police Department.

The statement notes Curtice’s leave of absence, saying that Curtice checked himself into rehabilitation, has been absent from work since Sept. 13 and has not indicated when he will return.

"Thus, the Coroner has now been absent from work for more than three months without so much as communicating a return date to his staff," the statement said. 

Yakima County’s chief deputy coroner and medical examiner have said they will quit if he returns to work.

According to the statement, Curtice’s key card access and passwords to his work computer were revoked by county commissioners. Curtice's staff have been given his county-issued phone, truck and office keys.

Next steps

According to state law, the next steps in a recall must take place within 15 days. If the Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office finds there is enough evidence, a ballot synopsis will be forwarded to a judge to decide whether it meets the criteria for a recall petition.

If the charges meet the criteria, petitioners can start gathering signatures to get the recall on a ballot.

Curtice is a Republican, and local Republican party precinct committee officers would recommend a replacement to commissioners if he steps down or is recalled.

It is Gartrell's second attempt at a recall. Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office found a previous filing was “factually and legally deficient,” noting that the evidence consisted of news reports of the allegations. This time, Gartrell and the others brought on an attorney with funding from the Republican Party.

The process could take up to six months to complete, which would put a recall question on the ballot a year before Curtice’s term expires at the end of 2026.

This story has been updated with additional information.