Resident lambasts county judge

PRESCOTT – May’s meeting of the Nevada County Quorum Court was a rough on Tuesday evening as Nevada County Judge Mark Glass was raked over the coals for his failure to close a county road.

Don Callicott told the court he’s been trying to get this NC406 closed for four years with no success. He began by reading the statute on what constitutes the corruption of a public official, and said the court initially agreed to close the road, but was overridden and told it didn’t have the authority to close it, as the road had to be closed by the county judge. He said there was no problem before when the deer camp was there as a deal was made with the hunters on using the road as long as no log trucks used it. This, though, changed in 2011, he added, when International Paper (IP) sold the land, which has changed time three times since.

In 2015, he said, loggers destroyed the road, and it was to the point where it couldn’t be used with a two-wheel drive vehicle. There was no problem in 2016 as it was a dry year, but in 2017 it was so bad neither side of the road was usable. Callicott said he fixed the road in 2017 and 2018, as it happened again in 2018 which was a wet year.

According to Callicott, in 2016 he came to Glass to see about closing the road and was told he had to address the court. He did, a committee was formed, with five members inspecting the road, making a report to the rest of the court and voting to close the road. Eighth Judicial District North Prosecuting Attorney Christy McQueen got involved saying the court couldn’t close a county road, this had to be done by the county court.

Callocott presented maps showing where the deer camp is located, and the distances from his property to either side of the road where there’s an exit. He provided topographical maps of the area and asked the court what it would do. Before he began talking, Callicott presented each with a packet of information, reportedly containing dated copies of letters written to the county judge and others. He told the court vacating the road is possible, but he’s been lied to repeatedly since he started asking for the road to be closed.

Glass reminded Callicott there’s a hearing set for the road closing on June 10 at 10 a.m. with Hempstead County Judge Jerry Crane presiding.

Callicott dismissed this, saying because he was lied to his mother-in-law, Ruby Wicker died, primarily because of all the dust. He said nothing has been done because Glass was threatened by the owner of the deer lease who lives in Hope. He told the court it has the power to censure and impeach, implying Glass should be impeached and removed from office. He talked about a petition he provided, twice, with more than 30 people signing approving of the road’s closure.

Things allegedly changed in the last year, he said, when county road  crews started coming out, clearing the ditches and grading the roads. But, he continued, this doesn’t matter as he hired Hughes and Hughes in March 2020 to represent him  in the case. The second petition, also submitted in 2020, he said, had 40 names on it and was submitted to the Nevada County Clerk, but no hearing was set until Aug. 7. Glass recused himself on Aug. 6, and a hearing was scheduled for  Oct. 30, 2020, but was put off till November, but never held.