BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's courthouse was quiet and still Thursday night, giving justices of the peace little idea of the sometimes chaotic state of the building during a typical court day.
"There are days when we're got sex offenders, rapists, sitting in hallways with children waiting for their adoption hearings," Circuit Judge Robin Green said during a discussion of the courts facilities.
What’s Next
The proposal for a new courts facility has been sent to Benton County’s Public Safety Committee for discussion. The committee is set to hold its first meeting on the issue at 6 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Quorum Courtroom at the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.
Source: Staff Report
The Quorum Court's Committee of the Whole met Thursday night so members could tour of the circuit courtrooms and offices. The judges provided the justices of the peace with a PowerPoint presentation showing the courthouse in use during the day. The judges were unanimous in voicing concerns over security for the public, victims, defendants, judges and attorneys who make the system work in the cramped and outdated space available.
Benton County Judge Bob Clinard has said he plans to move forward with a proposal to replace the courthouse, built in 1928, with a new, modern courts facility to house circuit court judges, their courtrooms and staffs, the Prosecutor's Office and staff, the Circuit Clerk and other offices needed to operates the courts system. A study identified three options, with two featuring expansion and renovation of the courthouse and building additional space in downtown Bentonville. The third option would move the courts system to county-owned land on Southwest 14th Street near the Benton County Jail.
The judges showed the committee how the old courthouse, which was built for a single judge and a single courtroom, now houses three judges and three courtrooms and two judges and courtrooms are housed in buildings across the street from the main courthouse. With the inadequate space, the courthouse sees inmates brought to court for hearings being marched down hallways filled with victims, witnesses and members of the public. Friends and families of people on both sides of court cases share space in lobbies, and in courtrooms.
"There are two adversarial sides in all of these cases," Judge Xollie Duncan said. "They all want their side to win. They're all sitting out there together and sometimes it's not pleasant."
Duncan said the judges and staff work to keep separation but it's not always possible. Judge Brad Karren said on typical criminal court days the people waiting for court fill his courtroom, the lobby outside the courtroom and form a line that stretches out the door and around the corner of the building. Karren said the intermingling of the different interests poses serious problems.
"You've got victims sitting next to families of defendants or witnesses," he said. "It's a powder keg waiting to happen."
The justices of the peace said they appreciated the work of the judges, their staffs, the courthouse security officers and others who have made the system work and they want to see the county find a solution to the problems.
"I'm fully convinced that this is a top priority," Tom Allen, justice of the peace for District 4, said in the discussion at the end of the judge's presentation. "I'm appalled at what you have to work with. The people of the county need to have something you can use."
Shirley Sandlin of District 8 asked if anything can be done to improve the situation while the county explores options. The judges agreed the courthouse can continue to work for some time, but not forever.
"We can continue to tread water," Judge Doug Schrantz said. "Now, how long can we continue to do that?"
Schrantz said the courthouse reminded him of times in his childhood when kids would skin a knee while riding a bicycle.
"Momma would put a Band-Aid on it," he said. "If one Band-Aid wasn't big enough we'd use three or four. The Band-Aids won't stick to anything but Band-Aids anymore. I don't know how much longer we can continue to do this."
NW News on 01/16/2015
