Kaufman county needs a new courthouse. Why? First, the current building is too small to handle the growing population. The courthouse was designed for two courtrooms, but now houses four courts. There are no public restrooms upstairs, no attorney client meeting area anywhere (we use the very narrow and cramped hallways) the government offices are beyond cramped, the security area with the metal detectors was an ad hoc development that creates a pedestrian bottleneck for jurors, the law library is also the felony jury deliberation room etc, etc.
Another reason to embrace change is the courthouse’s complete lack of aesthetic appeal. This sad blue cube doesn’t evoke traditional Texas courthouse grandeur like say, the Ellis county courthouse. On the contrary, Kaufman’s courthouse recently doubled as a mental hospital for a tv pilot (starring Dylan McDermott, it was never picked up).
It’s one thing for lawyers to complain, it’s another to generate voter support. The voters have spoken before, and soundly rejected spending their tax dollars on a new courthouse. Undeterred, the county commissioners may have found a way to build a new courthouse without voter approval- certificates of obligation. Tread carefully here pols.
Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
