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Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Ind. Courts - U.S. District Court in Terre Haute shutting down

WTHI TV from Terre Haute is reporting today:

The verdict is in on the federal court for Terre Haute. The announcement came Tuesday afternoon that the district court will be shut down at the federal building in Terre Haute. While the decision came as no great surprise, it will impact the community in some little known ways.

The federal court building in Terre Haute has stood the test of time, but it will soon say goodbye to a long time tenant. After months of review the United States District Court said Tuesday it's shutting down the court in Terre Haute. The court had become part time in recent years.

But for attorneys like James Bopp, who has a big federal case practice, the news is disheartening, "Well, it's a big disappointment for Terre Haute, because having a federal court kind of puts you on the map as far as the kind of facilities that facilitate that conduct of legal business."

In a way, this court closing is like the military base closings we've heard so much about. The federal court system is in a financial crisis. They must streamline and economize. So when they take a look at the old building which is very historic and a very big security risk, the answer is simple.

It would cost $16 million to replace. The court's rent would be one million dollars a year. This court is closing because someone simply did the math.

One of the biggest losers in this is the Federal Penitentiary in Terre Haute. Federal prisoners form a steady line to the courts for appeals and such. Now they must be transported to Indianapolis or Evansville. It's going to create a real dislocation for the ability to handle those cases because they have to appear.

This ILB entry from Aug. 15, 2004 included this quote from the the Terre Haute Tribune-Star: "Instead of building a new federal building in downtown Terre Haute, a chief federal judge is considering moving part of the court's responsibility to Indianapolis." From Feb. 25, 2005: "Federal judges toured Terre Haute City Hall last week to see if it might serve as a possible location for the U.S. District Court."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 14, 2005 09:29 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts