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Monday, August 18, 2008

Ind. Courts - Grant County Superior Court 2 closes doors

From Saturday's Grant County/Marion Chronicle Tribune, a story by Brett Wallace:

Friday was the last day Judge Randall Johnson said he would open Superior Court 2 and the Juvenile Court at the Grant County Courthouse.

In a letter Tuesday to the Grant County Council and commissioners, Johnson told the council a medical condition has worsened as a result of working in the mold-infested environment and that courthouse operations would be suspended until he had a suitable alternate venue.

Johnson plans to continue working from home.

County Administrator Angela Banter said a decision was made late Friday afternoon to move Juvenile Court to the county council chambers. “Juvenile Court will be held in the Grant County Complex on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the council chambers,” Banter said. She said cases will be heard there beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

A new venue for Superior Court 2 is yet to be determined, Banter said. She said that will be at the discretion of the commissioners. “I’m compiling information and will present it to the commissioners Tuesday,” Banter said.

Banter said part of the complications are the special needs required to conduct Superior Court 2, including technology, software, recording equipment, security, a separate jury room and more. Calls to Commissioner Mark Bardsley were not returned Friday.

In his letter, Johnson said doctors have found high levels of several dangerous molds in his blood and that many were the same molds that were found in the courthouse during a Department of Labor study in March.

Johnson also said in the letter that he told the council as early as March that the situation needed to be addressed or else he would pull his court out of the building.

Wednesday night, the county council voted unanimously to accept a 60-month line of credit from Regions Bank to pay for $1.8 million in repairs to the courthouse.

Johnson said that action was simply more of the same discussion and called the process frustrating. “They’re just talking back and forth,” he said of the council. “It’ll be four more months before we get started on anything.”

While working from home, Johnson said he will still be able to hear cases under advisement but won’t be able to conduct jury trials or hearings. He said he hopes to have a new facility from which to conduct Superior Court 2 as soon as possible. “I’m working with the commissioners and Angela Banter to try to find temporary quarters for the court,” Johnson said.

Circuit Court Judge Mark Spitzer doesn’t anticipate that Johnson’s decision will have a major impact on the county’s other courts. “Our courts operate somewhat independently,” Spitzer said. “It shouldn’t have an impact on the operations of our courts.”

Spitzer said he couldn’t speak for judges Jeffrey Todd and Natalie Conn but that he plans to keep his courtroom open. “I don’t have any plans to close my court, but that doesn’t mean I’m not concerned about the health of my staff and the public,” Spitzer said.

Johnson’s decision will almost definitely cause a slowdown in the number of cases being heard in Superior Court 2, which could potentially result in another buildup of inmates at the Grant County Jail.

“I’m very concerned about the potential backlog,” he said. “(The courts) are backlogged tremendously, and this does not help.”

The story includes a link to Judge Johnson's three-page letter.

Here is another Chronicle-Tribune story, from Thursday, August 14th.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 18, 2008 08:13 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts