Courtroom options explored

Options to deal with Sweetwater County’s spatially-challenged court facilities were released Tuesday, with two of the three options involving the creation of a unified circuit court building near the Sweetwater County Detention Center.

Previously, a study into what the cost and possible configuration of the Sweetwater County Courthouse’s second story was presented to the commissioners, outlining a possible plan that would extend the life of the facility through the creation of a second district courtroom. This study builds upon the previous presentation in that two of the options presented shift the circuit court area out of the building and continue with building another district court room, ultimately creating space for three district court judges.

The judicial workload for Judges Nena James and Richard Lavery currently exceed the amount of cases two full-time judges are estimated to hear in a year. According to statistics presented at the commissioners’ meeting, their caseload should be handled by 2.53 full-time judges. Estimates running to 2034 suggest that workload increasing to an equivalent of 2.93 judges due to projected population increases. The county has long been aware of the need for a third judge, with the commissioners commenting about the Wyoming Supreme Court making the need clear to them. According to Judge James, the third judge would probably be utilized to pick up cases throughout the Third Judicial District. The district includes Lincoln and Sublette Counties.

Presenting information to the Sweetwater County Commissioners, Thomas Brennan, of EDA Engineers said minor edits were made to the presentation, while taking a look at the potential judicial needs for the next 20 years.

The biggest problem with the courts involves the Rock Springs Circuit Court. The court’s location, which originally was the county’s hospital, leaves a number of security concerns. One example focuses on the main entrance to the courtroom, which allows for inmates, court workers and residents to use the same corridor leading to the courtroom.

“This facility has served the county well, but it’s not up to current requirements,” Brennan said.

Brennan said the public, courtroom workers and inmates should be separated to ensure security, something that is impossible to accomplish in Rock Springs. Brennan said the main corridor is a powder keg waiting to go off.

The district courts in Green River face similar issues in how the district court judges are forced to use a hearing room as a secondary courtroom. That room was the scene of an altercation in the past. The main courtroom could also be improved, according to Brennan. He said security is difficult for the room due to it having half a dozen entrances, believing the room to be too porous to effectively monitor and secure.

Each option presented assumes the circuit court space in the building will be shifted to another location. In the first option, the circuit and district courts would be unified under one roof at a new location in Green River while the second and third options assume the court would be moved adjacent to the detention center. District courts statutorily are required to remain within a county seat, while circuit courts can be located anywhere.

Brennan estimates construction of a new courthouse in Green River to cost approximately $24 million, without the cost of acquiring land. Brennan said the facility wouldn’t face constraints remodeling the existing courthouse would provide while allowing the building to be expandable for future needs. The lifespan of the building would be roughly 50 years, but Brennan admits the initial cost would be very high and said a site would need to be determined.

The second option, while moving the circuit court in Green River to the jail, would also see the creation of a new district court building in Green River.

While Brennan said the cost for this option would also be high, roughly 5 percent less than the first option, it would cut costs on transporting inmates for their court appearances as well as enhance the security.

However, the main problem, aside from the cost, is the unavailability of land for a new district court building in Green River. Brennan said the Lincoln High School land was considered, but ultimately declined as the steering committee believed it was the wrong spot for the facility.

The most cost effective option presented involved moving the circuit courts to a new jail facility and remodeling the current district court building in Green River.

Commissioner Wally Johnson said the county will host a workshop in the future, with the goal of bringing everyone impacted by the decision in to discuss their options.