An altercation outside Allen County’s courtroom on Tuesday morning served as a timely example for those asking for nearly $10 million to renovate the courthouse and improve security.
In that event, a man punched someone he believed had harmed a family member, witnesses said. About 40 people were milling around the hallway at the time, waiting for court hearings.
Attorney Bob Johnson said that’s one of his biggest worries when he comes to the court.
“The way this courthouse is set up, if you go to court, you’re going to be sitting out in the hall with the other side. Maybe that’s a defendant who did something to your child,” he said.
Johnson was among a panel of eight who gathered at the courthouse on Tuesday evening to discuss the renovation and expansion, which would include a second courtroom, a new entrance with security features and other improvements. Voters will decide on Nov. 7 whether to issue $9.95 million in bonds for the project.
The panel faced numerous questions about the need and, especially, the cost. Audience members asked about alternatives and suggested the committee that came up with plans had not been transparent during the process.
“Why now?” Moran resident Jackie Walls asked.
Chief Judge Daniel Creitz took responsibility for the timing.
For decades, sheriffs Tom Williams and Bryan Murphy warned him about the building’s inherent security dangers. A former law library was turned into a small courtroom with limited seating and windows that expose who is inside. Inmates must walk through court offices on their way to hearings. Defendants and victims must wait together in the main hallway. There’s no place for attorneys to confer privately with clients. A jury room has space for just 10 people — not the required 12 — and the room is not soundproof.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought some of those concerns into focus, Creitz said. The building’s configuration doesn’t allow for social distancing, which meant the small courtroom couldn’t be used. Staff now restrict the type of cases that are heard there.
But having just one full-sized courtroom creates a scheduling nightmare, especially as caseloads increase. The county has two full-time judges and a third who hears cases here on a regular basis.
“COVID woke me up,” Creitz said. “We need to be proactive. We’re going to have a vote and the people can decide. But I wasn’t going to sit back and wait until something happened.”
Walls asked if this is a good time to ask taxpayers to fund such a costly renovation. The economy is still recovering from the pandemic. Construction costs remain high and supply chain issues continue to delay projects.
Yes, construction costs are high, Tadd Johnson with Crossland Construction agreed. Crossland is the construction manager for the project.
“We’re just at an unprecedented time,” Johnson said.
