PORT TOWNSEND –Jefferson County has asked Superior Court Judge Craddock Verser to hold Security Services Northwest Inc. in contempt of court for alleged violations of a court injunction.
The county’s motion for a contempt order and remedial sanctions goes before Verser at 1 p.m. today in his courtroom at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St.
County-contracted Seattle attorney Mark Johnsen states in Superior Court records that during Joe D’Amico’s appeal hearing held Nov. 16-18 at Fort Worden State Park, Security Service’s president testified that 37 new employees had received full counterassault training on the property leased from Discovery Bay Land Co.
D’Amico testified that each trainee fired 500 rounds of ammunition on the property that bounds much of Discovery Bay’s western shoreline in Gardiner.
The training occurred during two periods between Oct. 5 and Nov. 16, D’Amico testified.
Counterassault training was one of the activities listed in the preliminary injunction order Verser signed Oct. 17.
The employees were being trained for deployment in Mississippi to serve in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, court records state.
“Unfortunately, Mr. D’Amico’s sworn testimony now establishes . . . that the orders have been openly disregarded since they were entered by this court,” Johnsen states in court records, referring to Verser’s court injunction halting Security Services’ homeland security training at Fort Discovery Training Center.