S-17-0982 In re Interest of Jace K.
Washington County Juvenile Court, County Court Judge C. Matthew Samuelson
Attorneys: M. Scott Vander Schaaf & Emily A. Beamis (County Attorney’s Office) --- Nicholas E. Wurth (The Law Offices of Nicholas E. Wurth, PC)
Civil: Recusal; joinder
Proceedings below: The trial court denied Appellant’s motion to recuse and motion to join the case with co-juvenile’s case. Following an adjudication hearing, the trial court found Appellee not guilty.
Issues: The trial court erred in 1) failing to recuse itself following evidence presented showing bias and impartiality by the trial court, and 2) failing to join Appellee’s case with the co-juvenile’s case when it failed to go through the joinder/severance analysis prior to making its decision to sever the cases.