MONROE - One of the first things a visitor to the new Green County Justice Center will notice is that it's not as easy to get in and out of offices there as it is at the Green County Courthouse.
"Nobody is able to just walk into the offices," Green County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Carter said. "They have to go to the window to ask for help. It provides more security."
One of the reasons the Justice Center was built was to provide added security. All offices have entrance doors, but only people with a pass card are admitted into the inner office. The public, press, even attorneys, can't get in unless allowed by an employee inside a specific office.
That's a change from the Courthouse, where anyone could walk into any of the offices. At the Courthouse, there only was a half-door in the district attorney's office between the public and office workers, and the doors to the judge's office and other county offices weren't locked.
Defendants no longer are brought to the window in the Clerk of Courts office. Their bail bonds are given to them in the courtroom.
At the Courthouse, it wasn't uncommon to see several defendants in the hallway in front of the clerk's office, which could be intimidating to people at the Courthouse for other business, such as paying taxes or applying for a work permit.
Defendants also are brought to the Justice Center through a tunnel connected to the Green County Jail. They are taken to the second-floor courtroom in their own elevator and can be kept in holding cells until their appearance before a judge.
Another difference is the "no smoking" policy on the grounds.
Green County Clerk Mike Doyle said the Green County Property, Parks and Insurance Committee voted to make the Justice Center and the grounds smoke-free.
Carter said county buildings became smoke-free a few years ago and said it made sense to the committee to do the same at the Justice Center.
There's one more change that will affect the building itself.
The sign in front of the Justice Center reads "Judicial Center." The error was a result of a mistake between what was ordered by the county and what was provided by the company that made the sign, Carter said. He said the name on the sign will be changed in a few weeks to read "Justice Center."
"Nobody is able to just walk into the offices," Green County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Carter said. "They have to go to the window to ask for help. It provides more security."
One of the reasons the Justice Center was built was to provide added security. All offices have entrance doors, but only people with a pass card are admitted into the inner office. The public, press, even attorneys, can't get in unless allowed by an employee inside a specific office.
That's a change from the Courthouse, where anyone could walk into any of the offices. At the Courthouse, there only was a half-door in the district attorney's office between the public and office workers, and the doors to the judge's office and other county offices weren't locked.
Defendants no longer are brought to the window in the Clerk of Courts office. Their bail bonds are given to them in the courtroom.
At the Courthouse, it wasn't uncommon to see several defendants in the hallway in front of the clerk's office, which could be intimidating to people at the Courthouse for other business, such as paying taxes or applying for a work permit.
Defendants also are brought to the Justice Center through a tunnel connected to the Green County Jail. They are taken to the second-floor courtroom in their own elevator and can be kept in holding cells until their appearance before a judge.
Another difference is the "no smoking" policy on the grounds.
Green County Clerk Mike Doyle said the Green County Property, Parks and Insurance Committee voted to make the Justice Center and the grounds smoke-free.
Carter said county buildings became smoke-free a few years ago and said it made sense to the committee to do the same at the Justice Center.
There's one more change that will affect the building itself.
The sign in front of the Justice Center reads "Judicial Center." The error was a result of a mistake between what was ordered by the county and what was provided by the company that made the sign, Carter said. He said the name on the sign will be changed in a few weeks to read "Justice Center."