Simpson courts getting change of venue

Thursday, June 17, 2004

FRANKLIN Simpson District and Circuit courts will be moving to their new home in the Simpson County Justice Center in about a month. The courts currently share one courtroom in the county courthouse on the square in Franklin. It was last renovated in the 1970s, Circuit Judge William Harris said. That was before the district court system was adopted in Kentucky. Weve just been woefully out of space from that time on, Harris said. The new justice center is a block off the square. The current courthouse doesnt have a holding facility, jury room or witness room, Harris said. Its just totally inadequate, he said. The justice center will have much better security also, Harris said. Inmates will be transported to holding cells in the new center, another space the current facility doesnt have. Theyll be behind locked doors and in secure settings the entire time theyre in the building, he said. The state has hired a crew to move into the new building the week of July 19. Neither court will meet that week, Harris said. Court is scheduled to resume July 26.The 30,080-square-foot, $7.5 million building will have separate courtrooms for district and circuit court, said Ed Britton, facilities officer for the states Administrative Office of the Courts. It should run fairly smooth like that, Britton said. A dedication ceremony will be scheduled later, he said. Simpson County was one of the counties selected to receive a new center when the state looked at possible projects a few years ago, Britton said. The projects were ranked by looking at census data and projecting the caseloads of the courts. Security was another reason for the new justice centers. Theres really no way to retrofit these older buildings with security, Britton said. There are several projects around the state going on now, including the Simpson County Justice Center. Budget problems with the state have slowed the process, though, Britton said. Construction has gone pretty much on schedule, except for some rain delays in the beginning, he said. The space left behind in the old courthouse will be converted into offices for the property valuation administration and county clerk. Those offices are currently in an annex across the street from the courthouse. Were going to do some renovations to this facility to utilize it as a county government facility, Judge-Executive Jim Henderson said. The building, constructed in the late 1800s, is a centerpiece for Franklin, Henderson said. We want to keep this building vibrant and active, he said.  Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700