Clallam Superior Court Missing 13% of Warrants from 2007-2011

Former Court Commissioner Brian Parker’s abrupt, taxpayer-funded departure triggered a scramble to recover sensitive records, with Clallam County having to explicitly ask Parker to return a missing Search Warrant Log he removed from the courthouse.

The recent revelation that Parker absconded with a sensitive warrant log is not the first time the court has struggled to keep track of critical search warrant records. A look back at court filings reveals a systemic issue involving Judge Basden.

203 Missing Warrants

Nearly 13% of Clallam County’s search warrants were lost during a four-year span of Basden’s tenure as court commissioner, according to a 2011 motion filed in a Jefferson County Superior Court proceeding by attorney Michael Haas.

Systemic Vulnerabilities

The 2011 court filing outlined deep administrative flaws, stating that Clallam County did not appear to have any process to ensure search warrants and affidavits were actually filed with the court. This lack of court control over the process called into question the integrity of every search warrant issued by the county, with the possible exception of telephonic warrants, which are recorded.

The filing contrasted this vulnerability directly with neighboring jurisdictions, pointing out that this problem did not exist in Jefferson County Superior Court.

According to the document, Jefferson County Superior Court Administrator Michelle Moore confirmed in August 2011 that their process required a copy of the search warrant and affidavit to be made and filed before the officer ever left the courthouse.

Basden’s Continued Role in the Court

Today, Brent Basden serves as a Superior Court Judge in Clallam County. The historical mishandling of search warrants under Basden’s tenure as a commissioner adds a layer of irony to the court’s current administrative crisis.

Internal reporting indicates that Judge Basden initially bypassed standard vetting protocols to fast-track Parker’s hiring.

Now, Parker’s abrupt, taxpayer-funded departure has triggered a new scramble to recover sensitive records, with human resources having to explicitly ask Parker to return a missing search warrant log he removed from the courthouse.

For Clallam County, the names and titles may have shifted since 2011, but the struggle to safely manage search warrant records appears to be a recurring theme.