Navajo County Recorder Timothy Jordan has signed a plea agreement that resolves criminal charges stemming from an Oct. 23, 2024, incident in Show Low, shifting the case from contested allegations to an admission of guilt on amended counts.
According to the plea agreement filed in Navajo County Superior Court, Jordan agreed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct with a weapon, a non-dangerous, non-repetitive undesignated class 6 felony and misconduct involving weapons, a class 1 misdemeanor.
The charges stem from an incident near White Mountain Christian Academy in Show Low described as an apparent road rage encounter. According to police reports, Jordan told officers he was being aggressively tailgated by another vehicle and claimed that multiple occupants exited the vehicle and threatened him with firearms. Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage from the school and interviewed witnesses, which police said did not support Jordan’s account.
Video showed Jordan exiting his own vehicle and approaching the other vehicle while holding his hand on a firearm holstered at his waist, according to the report. Police said witnesses also contradicted parts of Jordan’s statement and when confronted with the evidence, Jordan admitted he had lied to officers about key details of the incident, including claims that the other individuals displayed firearms.
The case was originally filed with four charges: disorderly conduct with a weapon or instrument, disorderly conduct involving fighting, false reporting to a law enforcement agency and carrying a weapon on school grounds.
A superseding indictment was later issued, narrowing the case to three counts. On Sept. 16, 2025, the charges of disorderly conduct with a weapon or instrument, disorderly conduct involving fighting and false reporting to a law enforcement agency were refiled under the superseding indictment. The charge of carrying a weapon on school grounds was not included in the superseding indictment. The plea deal was presented to Jordan in April of last year and it was signed and filed on the day of the agreement’s expiration date on Dec. 31.
Under the terms of the agreement, the felony charge will remain undesignated at the time of sentencing if Jordan is placed on probation. The offense cannot be designated a misdemeanor at sentencing and would only be eligible for misdemeanor designation if Jordan successfully completes probation. Until such a designation occurs, the offense is treated as a felony for specific legal purposes, including firearm possession restrictions, probation and could be used in impeachment processes.
The plea agreement outlines the potential sentencing range the court may consider. A non-dangerous, non-repetitive class 6 felony carries a possible prison sentence ranging from a mitigated term of 0.33 years to a maximum of 1.5 years, with an aggravated term of up to two years, as well as the option of probation. The class 1 misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail. Final sentencing is at the discretion of the court within those statutory limits.
The agreement also imposes specific conditions should probation be granted. Jordan is prohibited from possessing firearms while on probation and is required to have no contact with the victims. Any remaining counts related to the case are dismissed under the agreement and the state agreed not to allege the dangerous nature of the offense for sentence enhancement, though it may still argue the use of a weapon as an aggravating factor at sentencing.
By entering the plea, Jordan waives his right to a jury trial, the right to directly appeal the conviction and other procedural rights outlined in the agreement. The plea is contingent on court approval and if the court rejects the agreement or its sentencing provisions, either party may withdraw, which would reinstate the original charges.
The plea agreement was signed by Jordan, his defense attorney, and the prosecutor, and was filed with the Navajo County Superior Court. Sentencing has not yet occurred.
The Tribune contacted the Navajo County Attorney’s Office to ask whether a felony conviction would bar Jordan from continuing to serve as county recorder or from seeking reelection. A representative of the office said it is not handling the case due to a conflict of interest. When asked whether the office could comment more generally on how a felony charge or conviction could affect an elected official while in office, no response was received prior to publication.
