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Thursday, October 13, 2005

Ind. Courts - Location of new Vigo County court causes concern

The Terre Haute TribStar reports:

A Vigo County judge and the sheriff are voicing concern over the proposed use of the second floor of the county's new regional work-release center as a temporary site for a new sixth court.

Judge Michael Eldred expressed concern Tuesday to the Vigo County Board of Commissioners about security while Sheriff Jon Marvel said transporting inmates to the center could create problems.

Eldred had concerns over the potential use of a single hallway to bring both defendants and victims sides into the temporary courtroom. He attended the meeting with David Bolk, chief of county judges.

However, John Hanley, operations manager for Construction Technology Associates, said a north-side elevator and a hallway on the east side of the work release center can be used to bring inmates to the court, separated from a public hallway on the west side for family and victims.

Vigo County judges, Eldred said, are still working on a judicial plan to submit to the state supreme court on duties of each county court. Eldred said the proposed plan is to have 50 percent of all criminal cases moved into the new sixth court next year. That court also will handle divorce cases. That, Eldred said, means that court will need security from the Sheriff's Department. * * *

Gov. Mitch Daniels is expected to name a judge, from among four candidates, to the new sixth court by mid-November. * * *

County commissioners more than six months ago began discussing the concept of converting about 3,000 square feet of unused space on the second floor of the Regional Community Corrections Work Release Center, under construction at First and Ohio, as a temporary court location starting Jan. 1.

The new sixth court would be moved into the courthouse after the completion of a more than $8 million interior courthouse renovation project, slated to be finished in about 1 1/2 years.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 13, 2005 07:20 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts