week of 3/27/02
 
 
 
  New justice center schematic scrutinized
By Scott McLeod
A new, slightly smaller justice center schematic was unveiled March 25, and a local judge warned commissioners that further cuts could negatively affect the way cases are handled.

“We are already using three district court rooms about every day, sometimes four district courts are going on in one day,” said District Court Judge Danny Davis. “We could really start having some problems if you start whacking space.”

The new schematic reduced the justice center to 88,000 square feet and included two superior courtrooms and three district courtrooms. The construction cost of the facility was estimated to be $11.9 million.

To reduce the size, all the “shell” space included in a schematic looked at two weeks ago was removed. Also, some office space for the district attorney, the clerk of court and judges was taken out to reduce the overall size of the justice center.

However, architect Doug Kleppin said the plans would allow for growth in the future by re-arranging some departments and perhaps moving some to areas that were designed to accommodate expansion.

Several speakers questioned whether enough resources had been put into “programming” the justice center. Lee Shelton said it appeared to him from talking to people involved in child services and domestic abuse programs that their needs for privacy had received scant attention. He also asked whether planners had taken into account the fact that about 60 percent of the expected increase in court cases would be in traffic offenses.

“Are we building a justice center to adjudicate traffic tickets?” Shelton asked.

Shelton insisted, though, that he was not arguing for a smaller justice center.

“You are building three courts when you are using four now,” said Shelton.

The commissioners took no action on the plan since the meeting was designated a work session. The next regular county board meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 8, at 9 a.m. in the courthouse annex.