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County courtroom ready for fresh start |
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Tuesday, 25 November 2008 |
With a new Saline County judge comes a new courtroom.
County construction workers and private builders have been busy converting the old sheriff’s administrative offices at the intersection of Main and Cross streets in Benton to fit the needs of the new judge and the county’s public defenders.
In September the sheriff’s office moved out of the building and began occupying its new space by the detention center on Neeley Street.
Robert Herzfeld, Saline County prosecutor from 2002-06, was elected in the general election as the new Circuit Court Division 4 judge for the 22nd Judicial District.
The state Legislature created the position in 2007 to help ease the case load in District 22.
Circuit Judges Gary Arnold and Grisham Phillips will remain presiding over cases in the county courthouse. Judge Robert Garrett did not seek re-election, but his successor, Benton attorney Bobby McCallister, also will work in the courthouse.
Richard Mattison and Pete Lancaster, the county’s public defenders, will share the new courtroom and offices with Herzfeld. In addition to them, the space will be occupied by three part-time public defenders, the public defenders’ three legal secretaries, and a case coordinator and court clerk for Herzfeld.
The building should be ready for operation by the end of the year, said John Vance, building superintendent.
The interior of the building has been completely redone to make room for the offices, jury room and courtroom. It’s a big improvement for the public defenders who for years have shared a tight space at the courthouse. The courtroom is comparable in size to courtroom 3 at the courthouse.
County Judge Lanny Fite, who oversees all the administrative business of the county, said the new space will allow for future growth and expansion. For example, he said, “We expect the state to add another public defender position.”
He added that the old public defenders’ office will be converted back to a jury room.
The new courtroom also is equipped for wireless and high definition electronics, said Angel Espino, assistant building superintendent.
Vance said since the middle of September, the remodeling project has been the building department’s No. 1 priority to prepare for the first of the year when Herzfeld takes office.
Cases for the division are already booked through April, Herzfeld said.
In addition to county workers, labor has been performed by inmates at the jail. The budget for the project is around $144,000, but officials think it will come under budget. Fite said inmate work has helped keep costs down.
Vance said, overall, things have run smoothly, despite a few height issues. Herzfeld is taller than the average man, and the bench under which his knees will rest during cases had to be raised 4 inches. The back door to Herzfeld’s office also will have to be raised otherwise he’ll hit his head every time he enters or leaves.
“It’s been a pleasure working with the design of the building,” Herzfeld said. “I’m grateful for John, Angel and Judge Fite, and the Quorum Court for funding the project.”
Practical experience from the old courtrooms has helped determine decisions for the new one. For example, in the new courtroom when defendants and lawyers approach the judge, they will have about a chest-high bar to place papers and rest their arms when they are talking to the judge.
In addition to criminal and civil cases, Herzfeld will preside over Drug Court. As one of founding members, he said he looks forward to overseeing the program that gives drug offenders an alternative to prison. “That should be very fulfilling.”
Before the sheriff’s office, Smith-Caldwell Drug Store occupied the new courtroom building. The drug store became the original occupant when the building was built in 1971. Smith-Caldwell is now across the street.
The courthouse was built in 1902 and courtroom 2 was added in the mid-1990s, which brought the total number of courtrooms to three. The jail used to be located in the basement of the courthouse until it moved to the new location in 2007. Now, the old jail serves as office space for bailiffs, Drug Court, the county attorney and child support services. It also has a conference room and houses evidence in criminal cases and storage for the circuit clerk’s office.
Fite said when the courtroom is ready, a tour will be offered so the public may see it.
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