A key official who oversees the security for new courthouses listened on Monday to Larry Cleveland’s arguments for a special access door but said a higher authority will have to decide.
Cleveland, commonwealth’s attorney, and County Attorney Rick Sparks say the special door – from their offices in the Fiscal Court Annex to the new courthouse – will allow them to do their jobs more efficiently and provide them protection, but won’t jeopardize security for others.
Vic Travis, security coordinator for the Administrative Office of the Courts, met with Cleveland and Sparks in the Franklin County Fiscal Court conference room for 75 minutes Monday afternoon to discuss the issue for the new $29 million judicial center.
Cleveland brought an almost 3-foot stack of court files to the meeting and said that’s half of what he has to carry into the courtroom every Friday morning.
Cleveland said he doesn’t want to have to walk around the block “through rain and snow and everything else, and every 10 feet run into” family members of somebody he’s getting ready to send to prison, then have to go through security with those same people.
“On the morning of a trial when I’m escorting my confidential witness whose going to testify against some drug-selling scumbag – and the family is standing there trying to keep him from testifying – I don’t want to have to walk him through security,” Cleveland said.
“I don’t want to have to walk an 8-year-old rape victim through security when the defendant’s family is standing there trying to intimidate her so she won’t testify. If there can be a door built, I should be able to take her through it.”
Cleveland said most of the time he can walk on the street and nobody’s going to bother him.
“But on the morning of a trial when I’m getting ready to send somebody’s daddy to the penitentiary, somebody is likely to harm me.”
Travis said he understands their concerns but AOC follows U.S. marshal standards of single entry for everybody except elected officials in new courthouse facilities.
“We have to do that to be level all across the state.” However, Travis said there have been exceptions.
Travis said the final decision will have to come from AOC Director Laurie Dudgeon, and it would have to be recommended by Franklin Chief Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate.
“I don’t want you to think Vic Travis is against this,” Travis said. “I’m just telling you we have certain standards we have to follow to be uniform across the state.
“If somebody agrees this is a better way, then that is fine. We’ll figure out a way to make that door secure and do all the things we need to do to make it possible.”
Travis said the new Franklin County Judicial Center is different than any of the other 65 he’s been involved with because it keeps the old courthouse.
“I can’t recall that we have ever done anything like this…I have to follow my standards. But that doesn’t mean I always get what my standards are.”
Judge-Executive Ted Collins, chairman of the Project Development Board that oversees site selection and construction, said Cleveland and Sparks should write a brief letter to Wingate and Dudgeon, stating their request.
Architect Rick Kremer said he’s hopeful for an answer before the next Project Development Board meeting on Nov. 23.
Kremer said he’s confident the access door can be constructed, “but I can’t tell you a ballpark for construction costs,” until drawings are done. “I am concerned about costs and the budget.
“Instead of spending time and money for us to do a quick design (for a ramp, elevator or lift), let’s see if we hit a brick wall at the top and they say ‘absolutely not’ or ‘go for it.’”
Before the meeting, Cleveland, a member of the Project Development Board, said in the current floor plan drawings there are “seven courtrooms with accompanying chambers, 10 holding cells, two staff lounges, three jury lounges, four coffee areas, two showers, 23 conference rooms, one grand jury lounge and 35 restrooms.
“In view of these amenities, a simple door to allow Mr. Sparks and myself to do our jobs more efficiently hardly seem an extravagance.
“Doing away with somebody’s bathroom or lounge might cover the cost. I will happily volunteer the grand jury lounge as I do not expect it will ever be used.”
If the additional access door is included in the new facility, the Franklin chief circuit judge will decide in a court order who can use the door.