Saturday, March 29, 2008

Moving day arrives for state-of-art courthouse

Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

Los Lunas Thousands of court files have been put in place, judge's chambers are getting organized and final touches are being made in the courtrooms in the new Valencia County District Courthouse.

On Monday, the much-anticipated new courthouse will finally open for business — five years after voters passed a general obligation bond approving the project. The 55,000-square-foot, three-story building cost taxpayers a total of $12 million.

For the last week, court staff has been working hard moving from the 40-year-old courthouse on Luna Avenue to the new, state-of-the-art building located on the corner of Morris Road and N.M. 314. Greg Ireland, the 13th Judicial District's court administrator, said everyone has been eagerly awaiting the move.

"It's been a long, hard process," Ireland said. "But we're finally here, and it's great. Everyone has been working really hard, and we're all happy that we can get to work in the new, beautiful building."

The first floor of the new courthouse houses security, two hearing rooms, one for the domestic violence commissioner and another for drug court and a jury assembly room for pre-trial orientation. The court clerk's office and a self-help pro se center are also situated on the ground floor.

Judges John Pope and Violet Otero's courtrooms are on the second floor, along with a ceremonial courtroom for visiting judges. Judge William Sanchez's courtroom is located on the third floor along with the court administration suite. Ireland said the third floor was purposely designed for future expansion in the event another courtroom is needed.

Otero, the family court judge, said she's very excited about the move into the new courthouse.

"It's been a long time coming," Otero said. "I believe the citizens, the litigants, deserve a place to have their hearings that is befitting of their important issues. It also provides them safety. This isn't just about the staff, we're here to serve the public and they deserve to feel safe and to have a suitable environment to have their issues heard."

Otero said she's also happy for the employees, who were forced to work in cramped conditions at the old courthouse. Otero said she believes that it actually impacted the staff's ability to be efficient.

Along with more space, every courtroom is equipped with state-of-the-art evidence presentation technology, which is controlled by each judge. Monitors are situated at each of the attorney's desks, for jurors, for courtroom staff and the judge. Video conferencing is also available in every courtroom.

There are also cameras located in each courtroom for security purposes, Ireland said. The judge's staff can observe what's going on in each courtroom through monitors situated in their offices.

Sitting in his newly decorated chambers, Judge Pope, whose previous courtroom was in a manufactured building situated north of the old courthouse on Luna, said he too is happy with the new accommodations.

"I think I can live with it," Pope said as he sat at his desk. "I'm ready to go Monday and I have a trial starting Tuesday."

Chief Clerk Geri Lynn Sanchez, who has worked in the old courthouse for the past 21 years in one capacity or another, said while some of her staff became a little sentimental while packing up this week, everyone is every excited.

"I never thought it would come true," Sanchez said. "We're all very, very happy. Since the move, everyone has been very excited and upbeat. We'll have some adjustment because we were packed in there (the old building) like sardines for so long, and now we can't see each other — we have cubicles now. I kind of found this morning that everyone is flocking together in one area. So it's going to take some getting used to."

When Judge Sanchez was the chairman of the courthouse committee that worked to get the bond for the new building to the voters, many people told him that it would never happen. But days before the new courthouse is about to open, Sanchez says, "In the words of Barack Obama, 'Yes, we can!'

"We worked hard, and we got it done," Sanchez said. "I'm one of three judges in this brand new courthouse, so it's a history-making event. I certainly thank all the people who voted for the referendum, and it's their courthouse — it's Valencia County's courthouse."

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