On Monday a room at the San Benito County Courthouse was jammed
with potential jurors, who sweltered through a process that did not
include air conditioning.
On Monday a room at the San Benito County Courthouse was jammed with potential jurors, who sweltered through a process that did not include air conditioning.
The scene and the timing underscore the need for a modern court facility. And the Hollister City Council, without a lot of fanfare, took an effective step toward a new courthouse by approving the donation of the old Fremont School property to the California Superior Courts to be used as the site of a new facility.
This sounds like an easy call, and perhaps it was. But making a move involving the state is never a sure thing, and in some cases an outright gamble. But the city needed to make a move to show the state it is serious about a new courthouse, and this was the perfect move.
San Benito is currently on a short list of counties being considered for court-expansion funding. Ultimately, legislators will decide if the project will be funded. Having land available for expansion should help San Benito in the process, although the Fremont School site technically is two acres short of the required acreage. But county officials believe the land issues can be overcome.
The Fremont School site is around the block from the current courthouse and thus would keep everything downtown, as many had hoped. So the city has done its part, and the county is doing its part, to not only provide a new courthouse, but also keep one downtown. Let’s hope this works.
Let’s hope the public has taken notice of the effort, will participate, and will press our local state legislators to do their part in making a new downtown courthouse a reality.
